What Is Treason????

The revelation that an American was involved with Afghanistan's Taliban regime has sparked much debate on the issue of treason. While the U.S. federal government has never executed someone convicted of treason, the U.S. has tried about 30 treason cases in the nation's history.

The Constitution defines treason in article III, section 3 as:

Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying war against them, or in adhering to their enemies, giving them aid and comfort.

The framers of the Constitution added that in order for someone to be convicted of treason, two witnesses must testify to that fact or the accused must confess. Congress has the power to decide the punishment for a convicted traitor.

One of the earliest treason trials was of Aaron Burr, an ambitions lawyer and politician who served as a colonel in the Revolutionary War. In 1800 he ran for president, tying Thomas Jefferson, and leading the House of Representatives to settle the matter, which they did by appointing Jefferson president and Burr vice president. Apparently, this didn't satisfy Burr. After his term as vice president, Burr bought land and collected followers to either establish a new republic with Burr as president or to invade Mexico or both. In 1807, Burr was tried for treason and acquitted.

Another famous treason trial was that of abolitionist John Brown. In 1859, he led a raid on the federal arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Virginia. He intended to raise an army and end slavery in the American South by force. Despite his noble goal, Brown's methods resulted in several deaths. As a result, he was found guilty of murder, treason, and of inciting slave insurrection and was hanged. However, he was convicted by the state of Virginia, not the federal government.

Not all those tried for treason have committed violent acts. In 1947, Hans Max Haupt was convicted of treason and sentenced to life in prison for aiding his son who was a spy for Germany during World War II. The son, Herbert Hans Haupt, was tried, convicted, and executed by a military tribunal. The elder Haupt helped his son find a job, gave him a place to live, and bought him a car, all while knowing that his son was working as a German spy. The government argued that the father supported his son's espionage by committing acts of aid and comfort to the enemy. Haupt's trial was the last treason case heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.

Posted via email from Global Politics

WHAT'S WRONG IN AMERICA????

---by Charlie Reese LAST POST.... (Retiring and So True)

Charlie Reese has hit the nail directly on the head, defining clearly who it is that in the final analysis must assume responsibility for the judgments made that impact each one of us every day.  It’s a short but good read.  Worth the time. Worth remembering!

555 PEOPLE–By Charlie Reese

Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them. Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits? Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes? You and I don’t propose a federal budget. The President does. You and I don’t have the Constitutional authority to vote on appropriations. The House of Representatives does. You and I don’t write the tax code, Congress does. You and I don’t set fiscal policy, Congress does. You and I don’t control monetary policy, the Federal Reserve Bank does. One hundred senators, 435 congressmen, one President, and nine Supreme Court justices equates to 555 human beings out of the 300 million are directly, legally, morally, and individually responsible for the domestic problems that plague this country. I excluded the members of the Federal Reserve Board because that problem was created by the Congress. In 1913, Congress delegated its Constitutional duty to provide a sound currency to a federally chartered, but PRIVATE, central bank. I excluded all the special interests and lobbyists for a sound reason. They have no legal authority. They have no ability to coerce a senator, a congressman, or a President to do one cotton- picking thing. I don’t care if they offer a politician $1 million dollars in cash. The politician has the power to accept or reject it. No matter what the lobbyist promises, it is the legislator’s responsibility to determine how he votes. Those 555 human beings spend much of their energy convincing you that what they did is not their fault. They cooperate in this common con regardless of party. What separates a politician from a normal human being is an excessive amount of gall. No normal human being would have the gall of a Speaker, who stood up and criticized the President for creating  deficits…  The President can only propose a budget. He cannot force the Congress to accept it. The Constitution, which is the supreme law of the land, gives sole responsibility to the House of Representatives for originating and approving appropriations and taxes. House members, not the President, can approve any budget they want. If the President vetoes it, they can pass it over his veto if they agree to. It seems inconceivable to me that a nation of 300 million cannot replace 555 people who stand convicted — by present facts — of incompetence and irresponsibility. I can’t think of a single domestic problem that is not traceable directly to those 555 people. When you fully grasp the plain truth that 555 people exercise the power of the federal government, then it must follow that what exists is what they want to exist. If the tax code is unfair, it’s because they want it unfair. If the budget is in the red, it’s because they want it in the red .. If the Army & Marines are in Iraq and Afghanistan it’s because they want them in Iraq and Afghanistan… If they do not receive social security but are on an elite retirement plan not available to the people, it’s because they want it that way. There are no insoluble government problems. Do not let these 555 people shift the blame to bureaucrats, whom they hire and whose jobs they can abolish; to lobbyists, whose gifts and advice they can reject; to regulators, to whom they give the power to regulate and from whom they can take this power. Above all, do not let them con you into the belief that there exists disembodied mystical forces like “the economy,” “inflation,” or “politics” that prevent them from doing what they take an oath to do. Those 555 people, and they  alone, are responsible. They, and they alone, have the power.. They, and they alone, should be held accountable by the people who are their bosses. Provided the voters have the gumption to manage their own employees… We should vote all of  them out of office and clean up their mess! Charlie Reese is a former columnist of the Orlando Sentinel Newspaper. What you do with this article now that you have read it… Is up to you. This might be funny if it weren’t so true.

Be sure to read all the way to the end:

Tax his land,
Tax his bed,
Tax the table,
At which he’s fed.
Tax his tractor,
Tax his mule,
Teach him taxes
Are the rule.
Tax his work,
Tax his pay,
He works for peanuts anyway!
Tax his cow,
Tax his goat,
Tax his pants,
Tax his coat.
Tax his ties,
Tax his shirt,
Tax his work,
Tax his dirt.
Tax his tobacco,
Tax his drink,
Tax him if he
Tries to think.
Tax his cigars,
Tax his beers,
If he cries
Tax his tears.
Tax his car,
Tax his gas,
Find other ways
To tax his ass.
Tax all he has
Then let him know
That you won’t be done
Till he has no dough.
When he screams and hollers;
Then tax him some more,
Tax him till
He’s good and sore.
Then tax his coffin,
Tax his grave,
Tax the sod in
Which he’s laid…
Put these words
Upon his tomb,
Taxes drove me
to my doom…’
When he’s gone,
Do not relax,
Its time to apply
The inheritance tax..
Accounts Receivable Tax
Building Permit Tax
CDL license Tax
Cigarette Tax
Corporate Income Tax
Dog License Tax
Excise Taxes
Federal Income Tax
Federal Unemployment Tax (FUTA)
Fishing License Tax
Food License Tax
Fuel Permit Tax
Gasoline Tax (currently 44.75 cents per gallon)
Gross Receipts Tax
Hunting License Tax
Inheritance Tax
Inventory Tax
IRS Interest Charges IRS Penalties (tax on top of tax)
Liquor Tax
Luxury Taxes
Marriage License Tax
Medicare Tax
Personal Property Tax
Property Tax
Real Estate Tax
Service Charge Tax
Social Security Tax
Road Usage Tax
Recreational Vehicle Tax
Sales Tax
School Tax
State Income Tax
State Unemployment Tax (SUTA)
Telephone Federal Excise Tax
Telephone Federal Universal Service Fee Tax
Telephone Federal, State and Local Surcharge Taxes
Telephone Minimum Usage Surcharge Tax
Telephone Recurring and Nonrecurring Charges Tax
Telephone   State  and Local Tax
Telephone Usage Charge Tax
Utility Taxes
Vehicle License Registration Tax
Vehicle Sales Tax
Watercraft Registration Tax
Well Permit Tax
Workers Compensation Tax

STILL THINK THIS IS FUNNY? Not one of these taxes existed 100 years ago, & our nation was the most prosperous in the world. We had absolutely no national debt, had the largest middle class in the world, and Mom stayed home to raise the kids. What in the h_ _ _ happened? Can you spell ‘politicians?’ I hope this goes around THE USA at least 555 times!!! YOU can help it get there!!! GO AHEAD – – – BE AN AMERICAN!!!

Time to change things. Time to send ‘em home. Right? You many pass this on…

Posted via email from Global Politics

Retirement Planning, Decade by Decade

Very good financial advice from Jennie.....

---By: Jennie L. Phipps

Retirement planning is no slam-dunk. To make sure you retire in comfort, you have to start saving early and often. You need to pay attention to your money and not be distracted by the stresses and strains -- or the joys -- of day-to-day life. In the long run, you'll thank yourself for keeping one eye focused on the future.

To help you reach your retirement goals, here's a road map for navigating the decades as you move closer toward retirement age.

In your 20s

If you save $6,000 every year starting at age 20 and earn just 5% in interest each, by the time you're 65, you'll have more than $1 million saved for retirement. While that sounds like a lot, considering inflation, it's not a fortune -- but it can be enough.

Other retirement planning essentials for 20-year-olds include:

• Make paying your bills on time a habit.
• Pay off your credit cards every month.
• If you're offered a 401(k) at work, contribute at least enough to get the full match from your employer.
• Open a Roth IRA, and ask your parents and grandparents to contribute to it instead of giving you holiday and birthday gifts you don't really need.

In your 30s

Life's pressures increase when you're in your 30s, but managing your retirement savings -- despite the multitude of demands on your money -- is an important goal. If you started saving $6,000 a year when you were 20, you'll have more than $75,000 in your retirement account by now. If you're only beginning to save at age 30, you'll have to up the ante. To have $1 million saved up by the time you're 65, you'll need to start socking away $900 a month (assuming you're earning 5% on your money).

Other important retirement planning steps include:

• Aim to save and invest a minimum of 10% of your income; set up an automatic transfer plan to a retirement account to ensure that happens.
• Consider adding bonuses, tax refunds, or other lump-sum payments to your retirement savings.
• Consult with your spouse to make sure you're working together to maximize your retirement nest egg.
• Devise a plan to invest your money in a smart way. Getting professional advice is always a good idea.

In your 40s

You're most likely halfway through your working life, so now's the time to get serious about retirement planning. If you've been saving steadily for 20 years, you're likely close to having $250,000 in your accounts, and maybe lots more if your employer has been contributing, too. But if you haven't been as diligent, you may never catch up. In order to save $1 million by age 65 -- if you're starting at age 40 -- you'll have to put away at least $1,700 every month and earn an average of 5%. That's more than $20,400 a year. While it isn't an impossible goal, especially if both you and your spouse work at it and your employers kick in some money, too, it won't be easy if you also plan to pay your children's college tuition.

Here are some other steps to take during this decade:

• Review your investment plan. Consider putting your money in a target-date mutual fund that adjusts your level of risk for your stage of life.
• Buy disability insurance.
• Consider buying long-term care insurance now while it's cheapest.
• Make a will and update your beneficiaries in conjunction with it.
• Tell the IRS to deposit your tax refund each year into an IRA account.

In your 50s

Retirement is right around the corner. By this time, you'd better have a plan -- and some money in the bank. Saving is still important, so keep putting as much money away as you can. Even if you don't have as much as you'd hoped, don't give up. Every little bit you can sock away will help you during your retirement years.

Here are the important steps to take now:

• Set a date for retirement and start planning around that date.
• Review how your assets are invested. Now may be the right time to move some of what you have into more conservative investments. It's also a good time to seek professional advice.
• Consider your situation at work. Some workers in their 50s are very vulnerable to job loss. If you think that might be the case with your job, plan for what you'll do if that happens.
• Start a small business on the side -- like selling used golf balls or baking wedding cakes. Any enterprise that will keep you busy doing something you like and bring in income during your retirement is a winner.
• If you haven't bought long-term care insurance already, now's the time -- before the price is out of reach.
• Get rid of all your credit card debt. Having debt in retirement is a real drag.
• Pay off your home. A paid-off mortgage will give you much more flexibility and greatly reduce your monthly retirement expenses.

In your 60s

You're almost there. You have a plan and you're ready to work it. Sixty is the new 50 -- many people are choosing to work later in life -- so you've still got some time to make critical decisions to ensure that you're ready to retire in comfort.

Here's what to do to finish your retirement-planning job:

• Contact your employer's human resources department, and ask for help understanding any retirement benefits you can expect to receive.
• Contact the human resources departments of previous employers as well to see if you're still entitled to pensions or other benefits.
• Review your annual Social Security statement closely and, along with your spouse, devise a strategy for getting the most out of what you're entitled to. That might mean putting off getting your retirement benefits until age 65 or even 70.
• If you're a veteran, investigate the benefits that might be available to you via the Veterans Administration.
• Add up the value of all the income you can expect to generate in retirement, including calculating the withdrawal rate on your savings (plan for no more than 4% annually of your total).
• Create a retirement budget. Project these costs, assuming a 3% annual inflation factor, through you and your spouse's 100th birthdays. People live a long time these days, and you want to make sure you have enough money to spend until the day you die.
• Get some professional help reviewing your total retirement picture and devising ways to ensure you'll be financially stable as time marches on.

Congratulations! You've earned the right to enjoy the freedom to do what you want. But life doesn't stand still. Review your plan every year, and keep tweaking it to make sure your life is the best it can be.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

WVIL Threatens the Existence of the Digital Camera

Forget everything you know about digital photography. The WVIL, a concept camera made by the creative geniuses at Artefact, is threatening to change everything you thought you knew about taking photos on a DSLR. You don’t have to stand behind your lens, you don’t have to download photos from a memory card to a computer, you don’t have to use a complicated series of buttons and controls, but you might have to answer a call in between photos.

Concept Camera: The WVIL from Artefact on Vimeo.

So what is it?  It’s a redesign of not only the digital camera, but more importantly, the redesign of digital photography. WVIL stands for “Wireless Viewfinder Interchangeable Lens”, and it is meant to be controlled by an interface that can be installed on your smart phone to control a lens that actually holds the sensors and camera components. Think about the effects that operating system such as android and the iphone OS have had on smart phones.  Now imagine the same change and evolution that can be brought to the digital camera with dual innovation in hardware and software.

The sky is the limit for this concepts as our technology and wireless capabilities continue to evolve based on the demands of creative ideas.

Easter

The date of Easter is not fixed to a civil calendar. Did you know that it’s tied to the full Moon and the vernal equinox?

• Christian churches that follow the Gregorian calendar celebrate Easter on the first Sunday after the paschal full Moon on or just after the vernal equinox. For simplicity, the equinox is considered March 21. The paschal full Moon always falls on the 14th day of a lunar month; because ancient calculations did not take into account certain lunar motions, this date may be slightly off from the astronomical full Moon date.
• Eastern Orthodox churches follow the Julian calendar. Due to these different methods of calculation, the Eastern and Western churches often celebrate the feast on different days.
• In Western churches, Easter can never occur before March 22 or after April 25. In Eastern churches, Easter can occur between April 4 and May 8 (using Gregorian calendar dates).

Easter Dates for 2010–14

Year	Western/Gregorian	Eastern/Julian
2010	April 4	April 4
2011	April 24	April 24
2012	April 8	April 15
2013	March 31	May 5
2014	April 20	April 20

What is the Golden Number?

It’s a number in the 19-year cycle of the Moon, used for determining the date of Easter. (The Moon repeats the dates of its phases approximately every 19 years.) Add 1 to any given year and divide the result by 19; the remainder is the Golden Number. If there is no remainder, the Golden Number is 19.
 

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Asparagus Gratin

---by PMSalt

Remember Summer Fest?  Well, spring has sprung and I’m once again getting together with a fantastic group of bloggers to celebrate some of the best of spring produce.  We’re calling it Spring Fling!  This week, asparagus is the guest of honor, so make sure to check out the links at the bottom of this post and see what the others have cooked up with this delicious spring veggie.  Click around and join the conversation by sharing your own tips, recipes, or links.

I used to hate asparagus.  After onions, it was the most-loathed vegetable of my childhood.  Unfortunately, my parents loved it, so I remember lots of asparagus stare-downs that sometimes landed me in my room directly after dinner.  On asparagus nights, my mom took pity on me and I was only required to eat two small spears, but even that was a struggle that included lots of whining, possibly a few tears, and most likely some dramatic gagging.

Luckily, as I grew up, so did my palate.  I now eat most of the things I despised as a child (raw onions being one exception).  In the spring, I often eat asparagus a couple times a week, sometimes more.

Seven-year-old Nicole would be shocked.

My absolute favorite way to cook asparagus is on the grill.  Grilled asparagus goes well with beef, chicken, pork, fish, or just about anything else you have the inclination to cook over fire. Toss the spears with a bit of olive oil, salt, and freshly ground pepper and throw them on the grill while the meat is resting (you do let your grilled meat rest before slicing, right?).  It’s fantastic!

When I received an e-mail from Cook’s Country a couple weeks ago with this fantastic-looking Asparagus Gratin recipe, I decided it was time to break out of the grilling routine and try something different with asparagus.  Before I even tried the recipe, I e-mailed the press contact at Cook’s Country to ask permission to reprint it.   I knew just from reading it that I would want to share it with you.

I’ve always loved the recipes from Cook’s Country and America’s Test Kitchen.

I secretly dreamed for years about working at America’s Test Kitchen.  I honestly can’t think of another job I would enjoy doing more.  When I lived in Sicily, I was pretty much running my own test kitchen and still have about a dozen notebooks with scrawled recipe ideas and modifications that I was working on back then.  I was obsessed!  But I was also surrounded by lots of hungry sailors who were willing to eat my experiments.

At this point in my life, I just don’t have the time, space, or resources to test recipes all day long, every day.  Of course I’m still constantly writing down recipe ideas, and I do spend a fair amount of time creating and testing recipes, but I’ve had to rein in my obsession a bit.  In the meantime, I live vicariously through America’s Test Kitchen and Cook’s Country.  And yes, I still dream of working in the Test Kitchen someday!

I was right, this recipe is fantastic!  The extra step of making a quick stock from the asparagus ends is totally worth the extra few minutes of your time.  I always save the woody ends of asparagus for making stock that turns into asparagus soup – a have a bag in the freezer that’s almost full just from the asparagus I’ve eaten so far this spring!

I followed this recipe to the letter and wouldn’t change a thing.  As always, make sure to use a good quality parmesan cheese. Well-aged Parmigiano Reggiano is going to give you the best flavor.

Asparagus Gratin
reprinted with permission from Cook’s Country
Serves 8

For even cooking, buy asparagus spears between 1/4 and 1/2 inch in diameter.

2 pounds thin asparagus
2 1/2 cups water
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1. Adjust oven rack to upper-middle position and heat broiler. Line broiler-safe baking dish with paper towels. Trim 1 1/2 inches from stem end of asparagus and reserve ends. Bring water to boil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add asparagus ends and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, covered, for 5 minutes. Using slotted spoon, remove asparagus ends and discard. Add asparagus stalks to skillet, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until nearly tender, 2 to 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to paper-lined baking dish. Pour asparagus water into liquid measuring cup; reserve 1 cup.

2. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly until golden, about 1 minute. Whisk in reserved asparagus water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Off heat, whisk in 1/2 cup Parmesan and Monterey Jack until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes.

3. Remove paper towels from baking dish. Drizzle sauce over center of asparagus and top with remaining Parmesan. Broil until cheese is golden and asparagus is tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Serve.

Check out more Spring Fling Asparagus Tips and Recipes:

• Food Network Healthy Eats:  Asparagus 5 Ways
• A Way to Garden:  12 Don’t for Growing, Cooking and Preserving Asparagus
• Food Network Dish:  Spring Fling: Asparagus
• Cooking Channel:  Asparagus Frittata, Your Easter Brunch Centerpiece
• What’s Gaby Cooking:  Skinny Asparagus and Gruyere Tart
• Food2:  Seasonal Spotlight: Asparagus
• Steamy Kitchen:  Asparagus Gratin

Posted via email from WellCare

Stir-Fry (Chicken and Strawberries)

Here is a simple recipe to help you enjoy fresh strawberries in season. If chicken stir-fry strips aren't available, cut 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast into thin strips about 3 inches long. Strawberry Chicken serves 2 - 3 as a main course, or 3 - 4 as part of a multiple course meal.
.

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook Time: 7 minutes

Total Time: 27 minutes

Ingredients:

• 3/4 pound chicken stir-fry strips
• Marinade:
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Other:
• 12 - 15 fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, and cut into quarters
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 tablespoon orange juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 2 or 4 teaspoons water, as desired
• 3 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil for stir-frying, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced ginger

Preparation:

1. Place the chicken in a bowl and combine with the light soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, and cornstarch. Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1/4 cup water, orange juice, lemon juice and sugar. In a separate small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch into 2 or 4 teaspoons water (2 teaspoons for a thicker sauce; 4 teaspoons for a thinner sauce). Set aside.
3. Heat a wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat. When the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons oil, swirling the oil so that it coats half-way up the sides as well as the bottom. When the oil is hot, add half the minced garlic and ginger. Stir-fry until aromatic (about 10 seconds), then add the chicken. Let the chicken brown for about 30 seconds, then stir-fry¹ the chicken until it turns white and is nearly cooked through. Remove the chicken and drain in a colander or on paper towels.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in the wok or skillet, swirling the oil so that it coats half-way up the sides as well as the bottom.. When the oil is hot, add the remaining garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for 10 seconds, then add the strawberries. Stir-fry briefly (about 30 seconds), give the sauce a quick stir and add into the pan. Re-stir the cornstarch and water mixture and pour into the sauce, stirring quickly to thicken.
5. When the sauce thickens, add the chicken back into the pan. Stir-fry for another minute to blend the ingredients and make sure the chicken is cooked through. Serve immediately.

Posted via email from WellCare

Recording a Live Show/Gig

---by Michael Gallant

Laying down your tastiest tracks in the studio is one thing – but what if you want to capture the raw spontaneity and audience energy of a live gig? Live recordings can be a real challenge, even for the most ambitious DIY indie artist, so here are eight tips to help you capture the vibrant tracks you need.

1. Know your purpose, and choose the right-sized recording rig to get you there.

Are you recording your gig for a large-scale, multi-disc release? Do you just want to review your show with your bandmates over beers to see where you rocked and where you… could use a little more practice? Or are you planning on sending 30-second sound clips around to your fans as teasers for your next gig?

If you’re not making the recording commercially available, your easiest, and cheapest, gear option is likely going to be some variation of a handheld recorder, possibly with an extra mic or two to give you more choices when it comes to working with the sound post-gig. If you plan to get the recording professionally mixed and mastered, make 1,000 copies, and sell them for $20 each, definitely investigate something higher end – probably a multi-track recording system with multiple mics and high-quality pre-amps.

(Stay tuned for Part 2 of this article to get some gear advice to put together the right recording rig for your purposes.)

2. Befriend the venue and explore ahead of time.

Touch base with the venue, and the sound engineer, several days before the gig and find a time when you can do a walk-through. Make special note of where electrical outlets are and be sure to ask the house manager where you’ll be able to set up. Being nice is key, and bringing chocolate helps, emphasizes Cookie Marenco, California-based producer, engineer, and founder of Blue Coast Records. Don’t even think about showing up ten minutes before the show, introducing yourself to the probably-overworked-and-underpaid sound technician, and expecting any sort of cooperation.

Marenco also advises that, if you’re planning on plugging anything into a wall socket, be sure to ask the venue about their power, and if they have problems with any particular outlets or circuits. “If you’re fighting for the same circuits with the lighting system, you can get a buzz,” she says. “Look out for dimmers, or find out if there are any video crews that will be plugging in as well, since those can create buzzes too.”

Be sure that you do your recon mission when the venue is quiet. “Know what your environmental noise is going to be,” says Marenco. “Is there a train that’s going to go by during the middle of the set? Are there air conditioners and buzzing lights? Especially if you’re recording something more quiet and acoustic, knowing where extraneous noise comes from can help you position microphones to minimize it.”

3. Start with the mixing board.

“The least expensive way to record a live gig is to take a board feed,” says Marenco. “Most clubs have at least a little mixing console for their PA and sometimes if you call in advance, you can find out if they have a two-track feed going out, and what kind of cables you need to record from it. You can bring a small, portable digital recorder and plug directly in.”

While the board is a good place to start, it may not yield jaw-dropping recorded sound, Marenco also notes. If you’re in a smaller club, for example, drums might not be miked at all, and the mix you record from the board could end up being all vocals and bass. Plus, you won’t get any of the live feel of the room.

If you have the gear and resources to do so, try remedying this by miking the room as well. “I always try to put up room mics on front corners of the stage facing the audience,” says Michael Winger, who runs the live recording company Flying Kitchen and has recorded acts like Regina Spektor and Tom Petty. “A mic at the back of the room usually sounds pretty bad and never mixes well with a direct recording off the board.”

4. Plan ahead.

If you’re expecting to use more than a hand-held recorder, make sure to draw a map of the whole rig from mic to recorder to monitor, says Winger, so you know exactly what you’re looking at come gig-time.

Especially if you’re working with new pieces of gear, Marenco says, be sure to set things up and do a test recording session at home long before you hit the club. “Play some music, or even talk into it,” she advises. “Some recording units have built-in limiters and compressors that can be helpful, but other times they can cause problems, especially when it comes to automatic level setting.” Better to futz with input levels in your living room than while your band is anxiously waiting to rip into the first tune….

5. Bring a friend, or hire an engineer, to help.

If you’re leaning towards anything more complicated than a simple hand-held recorder that you can just turn on and forget about, bring a friend to man the rig, so you don’t have to worry about it. “Performing and recording can both be stressful and the most important part of a live recoding is having a powerful emotional delivery,” says Winger. “It’s even harder when you’re thinking about whether or not the hard drive has enough space or if one of your channels has a buzz in it.”

If your budget permits, and you want a high-quality live recording worthy of an album release, consider hiring an experienced company or recording engineer to do the dirty work for you. You may be able to bring in someone good for only a few hundred dollars – but just make sure that you know they’re good before you book the date. Ask other musicians, or well-reputed local recording studios, for personal recommendations, and make sure to get a credit list, references, and audio samples from anyone you’re considering booking – and bonus points if they have experience working at the venue you’re playing. If everything checks out, sign the check and be done with it. The peace of mind you’ll gain from not having to worry about extra gear and logistics, in and of itself, may be worth the investment.

6. Bring the right supplies.

Make a packing list at least a couple of days before the show, recommends Winger, and think of everything you might need in a pinch. Depending on the scale of your recording rig, your bag o’ tricks could include extra batteries, headphones, extension cables, pencil and paper, and gaffers tape, to make sure nobody trips over wires or accidentally unplugs your system mid-set. Having a thorough packing list is super helpful after the gig, when you’ll likely be wiped out and more prone to forgetting things.

And finally, “don’t forget to bring a flashlight,” advises Winger. “It’s always dark when you’re trying to either set up or tear down.”

7. Make sure the music is the best it can be.

Even the most amazing recording of a live show won’t do you much good if the show itself falls flat. “Never sacrifice your performance for the recording,” said Winger. “Rehearse and get the best musicians you can to play with you. Make sure all your instruments, including the drums, are in tune and practice a lot. A band that’s been on the road touring for months always sounds better than a band that plays once a month. If you can’t get out on the road to tour, rehearse every day you can before your live recording.”

8. Bring a backup recording system.

Gear craps out sometimes – end of story – so make sure you have a redundant recording system running at the same time as your primary system. Even if all you have as your fail-safe is a hand-held cassette recorder, or the cheesy built-in mic on your laptop, it’s better than nothing. Make sure you record everything with both systems.

After the gig, if your recording is in digital format, be sure to back it up onto a separate hard drive, and burn a CD or DVD for good measure. “Remember the rule of digital,” says Winger. “If it doesn’t exist in three separate places, then it doesn’t exist.

Posted via email from Music Business Information

47% of Americans Don't Care for the Tea Party

CBS's Jan Crawford spotlighted the Tea Party movement on Monday's Early Show, but also played up how it might present a "challenge" for potential Republican presidential candidates due its apparent unpopularity: "Recent polls show 47% of Americans have an unfavorable view of the movement. So candidates looking for Tea Party votes have to be careful not to alienate moderates." Midway through her report, after noting the would-be GOP presidential candidates, such as Tim Pawlenty and Donald Trump, who showed up at some of the weekend rallies, the correspondent turned to possible downside that these politicians might face in appealing to the Tea Party, playing up a result from a recent CNN/Opinion Dynamics poll.

Posted via email from Global Politics

Earth Day April 22, 2011

Celebrate Earth Day (April 22) by reminding liberals of all the whacko predictions made by environmentalists in 1970, the year the event was founded:

• a new Ice Age (Newsweek); a world "eleven degrees colder by the year 2000" (Kenneth Watt);
• by 1985 air pollution to reduce the amount of sunlight reaching earth by one half (Life magazine);
• by 1995 between 75 and 85 percent of all species to be extinct (Earth Day founder Gaylord Nelson);
• mass starvation (Earth Day organizer Denis Hayes). Say: "Thank you, thank you, Earth Day! If those 20 million hippies hadn't taken the day off work, we'd all be dead by now!"

Posted via email from Enviromenment

What is d-Limonene?

d-Limonene: A Cleaner from Nature

d-Limonene is the major component of the oil extracted from citrus rind. When citrus fruits are juiced, the oil is pressed out of the rind. This oil is separated from the juice, and distilled to recover certain flavor and fragrance compounds. The bulk of the oil is left behind and collected. This is food grade d-Limonene. After the juicing process, the peels are conveyed to a steam extractor. This extracts more of the oil from the peel. When the steam is condensed, a layer of oil floats on the surface of the condensed water. This is technical grade d-Limonene.

In the past decade, the use of d-Limonene has expanded tremendously. Much of the product goes into making paint solids, used to impart an orange fragrance to products, and used as a secondary cooling fluid. But the largest growth segment has been the use of d-Limonene in cleaning products. This has occurred in both industrial uses and in household/institutional products. d-Limonene can be used either as a straight solvent, or as a water dilutable product.

As a straight solvent, d-Limonene can replace a wide variety of products, including mineral spirits, methyl ethyl ketone, acetone, toluene, glycol ethers, and of course fluorinated and chlorinated organic solvents. As with most organic solvents, d-Limonene is not water soluble, so it can be used in the typical water separation units. With a KB value of 67, d-Limonene has solubility properties close to that of CFC’s, indicating that it is a much better solvent than a typical mineral spirit. Straight d-Limonene can be used as a wipe cleaner, in a dip bath, or in spray systems as a direct substitute for most other organic solvents.

By combining d-Limonene with a surfactant package, a water diluting and rinsible solution can be made. In most cases these products are used in the institutional and household settings in place of caustic and other water based cleaners. A concentrated solution of a d-Limonene/surfactant solution can be made to be diluted before use, or pre-diluted solutions can be formed. The use concentrations of d-Limonene in these situations are usually 5-15%. In general these solutions are used as spray and wipe cleaners. The water dilutable solutions can also be used in industrial settings where a water rinse of the parts is desired to remove any residue which may remain.

d-Limonene is a very versatile chemical which can be used in a wide variety of applications. It is extremely safe and more effective than typical cleaning solutions.

How do we get d-Limonene and Orange Oil?

d-Limonene is the major component of the oil extracted from the citrus rind during the citrus juicing process. When the fruit is juiced, the oil is pressed out of the rind, then separated from the juice and distilled to recover certain flavor and fragrance compounds.

After the juicing process, the peels are conveyed to a steam extractor. When the steam is condensed, a layer of oil floats on the surface of the condensed water. This removes the bulk of the oil from the peel.

Food grade d-Limonene is extracted through the juicing process and Technical grade d-Limonene is removed through the peel steam extraction process. The chart below shows the citrus oil manufacturing process and the specific oils that come from each part of the process.

Common Misspellings of d-Limonene

The chemical recovered from pressed orange peels is called d-Limonene. Here are a few of the more common misspellings that you may run across:

• d-Limonene	• d'Limonene	• delimonene	• dlimonene
• limonene	• dalimonene	• delimeone	• delimolene
• d-limolene	• dalimolene	• d'limolene	• limolene
• lamonene	• d-lamonene	• d'limomene	• d-limomeme
• limomeme	• delimomene	• d-lamalene	• lamolene
• d-Limenene	• d'Limenene	• delimenene	• dlimenene
• limenene	• dalimenene	• delimeone	• d-Limonene
• d'Limonene	• delimonene	• dlimonene	• limonene
• dalimonene	• delimeone	• delimolene	• d-limolene
• dalimolene	• d'limolene	• limolene	• lamonene
• d-lamonene	• d'limomene	• d-limomeme	• limomeme
• delimomene	• lamolene	• d-lamalene	• d-Limonene
• d'Limonene	• delimonene	• dlimonene	• limonene
• delimolene	• delimeone	• dalimonene	• d-limolene
• dalimolene	• d'limolene	• limolene	• lamonene
• d-lamonene	• d'limomene	• d-limomeme	• limomeme
• delimomene	• lamolene	• d-lamalene	• d-Limonene
• d'Limonene	• delimonene	• dlimonene	• limonene
• delimeone	• dalimonene	• delimolene	• d-limolene
• dalimolene	• d'limolene	• limolene	• lamonene
• d-lamonene	• d'limomene	• limomeme	• delimomene
• d-lamalene	• limoneen	• limonen	• lamolene
• d-limomeme	• d-limoneen	• d-limonean	• limonean
• limonen	• d-limonen

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Poke Me>>>>>>I Poke You>>>>Meanings

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Which Bible is Most Reliable?

---by Billy Graham

Q: Some people came to our door the other day to talk about their religion. When I asked them a question, they answered by reading from their Bible, which is published by their group. They claimed it's the only reliable version of the Bible and all others are false. Are they right? -- K.R.

A: I don't doubt their sincerity -- but no, they aren't right. No reputable linguist or Bible scholar would accept their "translation" as accurate -- nor would any linguist claim that our Bibles are inaccurate or misleading.

Why did this group find it necessary to make its own "translation" of the Bible? The reason is because the Bible clearly contradicts some of its main teachings -- and the only way they could defend their beliefs was to "redo" the Bible and make it appear to agree with their teachings.

For example, the Bible clearly teaches that Jesus Christ was both fully God and fully man (which this group denies). This is important because only a divine, sinless Savior could die on the cross and become the final sacrifice for our sins -- and that is what He did. As the Bible says, "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (2 Corinthians 5:21).

Don't be misled by those who reject the Bible's clear teaching. The Bible warns about a time when "evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived" (2 Timothy 3:13). Instead, I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ and invite Him to come into your life. He alone can save us, for He alone died for us and then was raised from the dead for our salvation

Posted via email from Religion

Simplify Your Life with Balance

What is the most difficult part about simplifying your life? It is fairly easy to clean your closets and organize your belongings. It is possible to eliminate activities that are not really important to us (watching TV, web surfing.) Even simplifying your finances is not too complicated if you have a general plan.

The most difficult part about simplifying life is dealing with emotional attachments. Let’s say that you have an old picture frame (vase, shirt, shoes etc.) in your house. If it’s just a thing that you picked up on sale or bought ten years ago you will probably be able to change its permanent residence to “trash.” But how would you deal with this thing if you got it from your late grandmother? Maybe your parents gave it to you as a graduation present? Parting with this thing (even if you do not like it too much) gets much more difficult.

Another difficult part about simplifying life is going against social approval. We are so used to a certain order of things and certain cultural rules that we do not even doubt them. We assume that we need to have cable with 200+ channels only because everybody else has it in their homes. We break our backs to sell things for the fundraisers at our kids’ schools just because everybody else does. This list goes on and on.

I had trouble simplifying my life for all the reasons mentioned above and this is when I found a balanced approach to simplicity. Balance helped me find the simplicity that I was personally comfortable with. I didn’t have to limit my belongings to just 100 things and I didn’t get rid of all social commitments. However, I realized what is really important in my life and what is just clutter.

Here is the balanced approach to simplicity that I use in my life. Can you use it in yours?

Don’t try to win social approval

Our life is full of tasks and responsibilities that we assume important only because they are traditional in our culture. Most of these social norms do nothing but clutter our life and waste our valuable resources.

• TV and cable. Most people believe that it is a must to have a TV and cable in your house. Why? You can save hundreds of dollars a year if you just cancel your cable. You can free up several hours every day if you quit watching TV shows and news. You can spend this time pursuing your passion, enjoying your time with the family, working out or fixing a deliciously healthy meal for your family. If you are in the mood for a good movie – pop in a DVD and enjoy your movie without annoying commercial interruptions.
• Cell phones can be quite useful in emergency situations but there is definitely a limit to how much they should be used. I personally have the bottom-line model which I got for free when I signed up for the cheapest cell phone plan. You can save your time if you stop reading and writing emails on your cell phone, checking social media updates and sending text messages. Actually staying connected and plugged-in all the time causes enormous amounts of stress and clutters your mind. Do yourself a favor, simplify your cell phone.
• Car is another necessity that most people cannot imagine their lives without. Granted, it is difficult or even impossible to survive without a car in certain areas (I live in an area like that.) However, you can always limit the number of cars in your household (currently we have only one car in our family of four and this is enough for us.) Actually having only one car helps my family spend more time together.
  You can simplify your life even more if you don’t buy a new car. Considering how fast cars depreciate over time (a new car automatically loses at least $2000 of its value when you drive off the dealer’s parking lot) it is always a better idea to buy a good used car. By choosing a used car you will be able to avoid a car payment that sucks a lot of money from your budget over time.
• Kids’ activities. Some parents believe that their kids must be involved in every possible activity out there. I believe that some moms actually have an unofficial race of how many activities they can take their kids to. Let your children pick activities that they truly like and focus on those. If you teach your kids to find their focus from their early years then they will be able to maintain this focus in their adult life too. Don’t you wish your parents did that to you?
• Don’t always be part of the team. Social commitments can be a good thing sometimes but they can also be a huge waste of time. Fundraisers at your kids’ school, social events at your work or at school, even family reunions can be a huge waste. There is no point in supporting causes that you do not feel strongly about or visiting events that are not interesting to you. We are often afraid of what others would think if we do not participate. Be brave enough to break away from the crowd and make room for what really matters in your life.

There are plenty more examples of social standards that we try to follow in life. How many social norms are you ready to break away from today?

Find the strength to let go

We feel uncomfortable letting go of things and memories that we are emotionally connected to. This connection makes simplifying life very difficult. We feel responsible for keeping certain things (gifts from our relatives of friends) and holding on to memories. Over time it leads to enormous amounts of clutter and huge emotional baggage that does not let you move on in life.

• Gifts. Pick only the most important mementos that mean a lot to you. If your late grandmother gave you a present as a child – by all means, keep it to preserve her memory. However, it does not mean that you have to keep every single thing that she gave you. We do not need things to remember our loved ones, we just need true and pure memories of them.
  If you are afraid to offend somebody by throwing away a gift (like a hideous vase that you got from your mother-in-law) – talk to them honestly. Stuffing your house with things that you do not like and do not need won’t make anybody happy. You can even create a list of things that you do not want people giving you (I am personally pretty particular about interior decorations and kitchen utensils.) Let your family and friends know about them and ask them to create similar lists for you.
• Memories. Some memories (especially negative ones) can suffocate you. You need to find strength to forgive the person or even yourself for what happened. There is no way to change your past but there is a way to change your future. Grasp the moment and focus on living in the present.
• Stuff. Don’t let your house turn into a junkyard by preserving every drawing that your child made or keeping every single thing that your family members gave you. Thankfully today we can document most memories with pictures or videos that take no physical space (if you keep them on your computer of course.) Keep only mementos that are truly important (your child’s first drawing or a vase that have been passed through generations in your family) and preserve the other ones digitally.

Simplicity becomes very easy and enjoyable if you approach it with balance. Keep decluttering your life until you feel completely comfortable with the results and until you feel simply in balance inside and out.

Read more from Anastasiya at her blog, Balance In Me, and check out her upcoming virtual retreat Simplify Your Life with Balance: 30 days to declutter your lifestyle

What Is Wrong With The U.S. Economy?

 Here Are 10 Economic Charts That Will Blow Your Mind

The 10 economic charts that you are about to see are completely and totally shocking.  If you know anyone that still does not believe that the United States is in the midst of a long-term economic decline, just show them these charts.  Sometimes you can quote economic statistics to people until you are blue in the face and it won't do any good, but when those same people see charts and pictures suddenly it all sinks in.  What is great about charts is that you can very easily demonstrate what has been happening to the economy over an extended period of time.  As you examine the economic charts below, pay special attention to what has been happening to the U.S. economy over the last 30 or 40 years.  The truth is that what is wrong with the U.S. economy is not a great mystery.  All of the economic problems that we are experiencing now have taken decades to develop.  Hopefully the charts in this article will help people realize just how nightmarish our economic problems have become, because until people start realizing how incredibly bad things have gotten they will never be willing to accept the dramatic solutions that are necessary to fix our financial system.

The sad fact of the matter is that we have been living in the biggest debt bubble in the history of the world over the last 40 years.  All of this debt has purchased a wonderful standard of living for the vast majority of us, but all of this debt has also destroyed the economic future of our children and our grandchildren.  Someday future generations will look back on what we have done in absolute horror.

The 10 economic charts posted below are meant to shock you.  Most Americans today need to be shocked before they will be motivated to take action.  Please share these charts with as many people as you can.  Hopefully we can wake enough people up that something will be done about all of these problems while there is still time.

1 - Government spending is expanding at an exponential rate.  As you can see from the chart below, federal spending is almost 18 times higher than it was back in 1970.  Now Barack Obama has proposed a budget that would increase U.S. government spending to 5.6 trillion dollars in 2021.  Just imagine what the following chart would look like if that happens....

2 - U.S. government debt is absolutely exploding.  The U.S. national debt is currently $14,081,561,324,681.83.  It is more than 14 times larger than it was back in 1980.  Unfortunately, the national debt continues to grow at breathtaking speed.  In fact, the Obama administration is projecting that the federal budget deficit for this year will be an all-time record 1.6 trillion dollars.  Can we afford to continue to accumulate debt at this rate?....

3 - Unless something changes right now, the outlook for U.S. government finances in future years is downright apocalyptic.  The chart posted below is from an official U.S. government report to Congress.  As you can see, it is projected that interest on our exploding national debt is absolutely going to spiral out of control if we continue on the path that we are currently on....

4 - Household debt has soared to almost unbelievable levels over the last 30 years.  The sad truth is that it is not just the U.S. government that has a massive debt problem.  U.S. households have also been accumulating debt at a staggering rate.  Total U.S. household debt did not pass the 2 trillion dollar mark until the mid-1980s, but now total U.S. household debt is well over 13 trillion dollars....

5 - The total of all debt (government, business and consumer) in the United States is now well over 50 trillion dollars.  For the past couple of years this figure has been hovering around a level that is equivalent to approximately 360 percent of GDP.  This is a debt bubble that is absolutely unprecedented in U.S. history....

6 - As tens of thousands of U.S. factories get shut down and as millions of our jobs get shipped overseas, the number of unemployed Americans continues to go up and up and up.  As you can see from the chart below, there has been a long-term trend of increasing unemployment in the United States.  In fact, there are about 3 and a half times as many unemployed workers in the United States today as there were when 1970 began.  These jobs losses are going to continue as long as we allow our corporations to pay slave labor wages to workers on the other side of the globe.  All of the major trends in global trade are very bad for the U.S. middle class.  For example, the U.S. trade deficit with China for 2010 was 27 times larger than it was back in 1990.  How long will our politicians stand by as our nation bleeds jobs?....

7 - The median duration of unemployment in the United States is in unprecedented territory.  For most of the post-World War 2 era, when the median duration of unemployment in America reached 10 weeks that was considered a national crisis.  Well, today competition for jobs is so intense that the median duration of unemployment is now well over 20 weeks....

8 - Since the Federal Reserve was created in 1913, the value of the U.S. dollar has declined by over 95 percent.  One of the reasons given for the existence of the Federal Reserve is that the Fed helps control inflation.  But that is a huge lie.  The truth is that the United States never had consistently rampant inflation until the Federal Reserve took control.  In particular, once the U.S. totally went off the gold standard in the 1970s inflation really started escalating out of control....

9 - Now the Federal Reserve says that the solution to our current economic problems is to print even more money out of thin air.  The games that the Federal Reserve is playing with our money supply are simply inexcusable.  Just look at what the Federal Reserve has done to the monetary base since the beginning of the recession....

10 - All of this new money is creating tremendous inflation.  In particular, the price of oil is now ridiculously high.  A high price for oil is very, very bad for the U.S. economy.  Our entire economic system is based on being able to use massive quantities of very cheap oil.  Unfortunately, that paradigm is starting to break down and the consequences will be very bitter.  Back in mid-2008, the price of oil hit an all-time record of $147 a barrel and subsequently the world financial system imploded a few months later.  Well, the price of oil is on the march again and that is very bad news for the U.S. economy....

Needless to say, if the economic trends documented by the charts above continue the U.S. economy will be totally wiped out.  The U.S. economy as it currently exists is unsustainable by definition.  It is only a matter of time before we slam into an economic brick wall.

We have developed an economy that cannot function without debt, and at this point it seems like almost everyone is drowning in red ink.  The federal government is massively overextended, most of our state and local governments are massively overextended, most of our major corporations are massively overextended and the majority of U.S. consumers are massively overextended.

The only way that the game can continue is for the Federal Reserve to print increasingly larger amounts of paper money out of thin air and for everyone in the economic food chain to go into increasingly larger amounts of debt.

But no debt spiral can go on forever.  At some point this entire house of cards is going to collapse.

When that happens, there is going to be economic pain that is greater than anything that this country has ever seen before.

Posted via email from Global Politics

The New Law of Mother Earth in Bolivia

Bolivian president Evo Morales just took a bold stance against harming mother nature with a new piece of legislation. Bolivia is set to pass ‘The Law of Mother Earth’, which “establishes a new relationship between man and nature.” The new law is rooted in indigenous Andean beliefs, and puts all living things (plants, animals, humans, etc.) on the same level.

Essentially, the law gives ALL living organisms equal rights—the right to clean air and water, the right to not have cellular structure genetically modified—you get the idea. While it’s unclear as to how this law will be enforced, its mere presence raises awareness of important issues like climate change, and will hopefully inspire people to respect the earth they inhabit.

Posted via email from Enviromenment

Current State of Social Networks

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Tech

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Posted via email from Music Business Information

How to Build an Unforgettable, "Smash-able" Brand Identity

BY Martin LindstromMon Apr 11, 2011

No, you don't have to tell me, because I know what you're about to say: your new product is brilliant. It's a game-changer. Problem is, you need a killer logo. Well, today, designers, inventors, and investors are facing a dilemma similar to the one that writers and artists have struggled with for decades: there's nothing left. Or here's another problem: if you do manage to create a jaw-droppingly clever or memorable image, rather than engendering widespread consumer recall of your brand, your Easter-blue palette risks looking uneasily similar to the Tiffany box, and your little black bull is a transparent rip-off of the one that dangles from the neck of Sangre de Toro red wine.

As far as the logo is concerned, to paraphrase Bill Maher, it's time for New Rules. Today, what counts far more than a puma, a monkey, or a snarling aardvark is the cross-sensory experience your brand offers. I'm talking not only the emotion, beliefs, and desires your brand evokes, but its feel, touch, sound, smell and personality, of which the logo is just one small part. Whether it's a soda can, a car, a doll, a fragrance, a smartphone, or laptop, your brand needs to be smashable, e.g., instantly identifiable via its shape, design, copy, contours, and even navigation. Aside from adolescents, who are always on the lookout for the coolest logos to set them apart from, or help them gain traction with, their peers, today for most consumers the logo comes in near-to-last place to other considerations.

Why? Well, various reasons. The first is, when we see a logo, our defenses go up and stay up. We fear we're being played, or manipulated. Not least, I might also add that subconsciously, a logo reminds us of our complicity with big brands, of our own shot-with-guilt overconsumption that helped drive the world's recent financial downfall.

The term "smashable" dates back to 1915, when the Coca-Cola company asked a designer in Terre Haute, Indiana, to design a bottle that consumers could still recognize as a Coke bottle, even if someone flung it against a brick wall and it shattered into a hundred pieces. Coke is a smashable brand. So are Guinness, Ferrari, Harley-Davidson and, of course, Apple (take a sledgehammer to an iPad and you'll know what I mean). Which suggests that the logo as we once knew and loved it--from Citibank's Scowling Umbrella (I don't know what else to call it), to Nike's Swoosh, to Starbucks's Whoever-The-Heck-She-Is--needs to be re-considered if it's going to play any role in future brand-building.

Let's do a little experiment: Erase the logo from every single one of your brand identifiers--products, stationary, signage. Close your eyes, now reopen them. Is there anything left? Would consumers still recognize those items as belonging to your brand? Look at your packaging, your copy, your colors, your design, your font, your spacing. Do any of them convey your brand's identity? Or without a logo are you adrift and bailing water?

Next let's examine your website. Again, by eliminating the logo, you'll embark on a fun (I promise) and instructive exercise that will relieve you of any stubborn logo-fixations that may still be nagging at you. It's one that will force you into acknowledging the value that every single one of your communication elements plays in defining your brand's identity. Okay, still hiding the brand logo, eyeball your copy, your graphics, whether your pages are spare or dense-looking. Do all these things convey what your brand represents? Does your brand have a personality anymore, or is it standing shyly and stiffly against the wall, hoping no one notices it now looks (I hate to tell you) like every other brand out there?

To wrap up, let's have a look at your navigation. By navigation, I'm talking about everything from the iPod's clicking wheel, to the ritualized twist and snap you hear when you open your favorite soft drink, to Amazon's simple, one-click button you press to buy books or download them onto your Kindle. In my experience, once consumers have used Amazon a few times, they get hooked on the site's simplicity and navigational ease (During a recent round of focus groups, by a long shot Amazon was at the very top of consumers' favorite brands.). Sure, the site stocks every book (and everything else) under the sun, it over-delivers, it undersells iTunes, its data-mining techniques are on the positive side of creepy, but I'm pretty sure that most consumers' loyalty to the company derives in large part from Amazon's incredible and intuitive ease of navigation.

We're creatures of habit. Once we grow accustomed to a certain way of shopping, running, eating, drinking, shaving, brushing our teeth, showering, dressing, or any of 100 other things, our methodology becomes our own. Like the familiar, well-worn route we take to our favorite beach or restaurant, habit becomes personal, automatic, and unconscious. In the same way, navigational rituals are a vital, whispered element of any brand's attraction. Having said this, human beings are supremely adaptable. Basically, we can get used to anything. If you've ever switched cell phones, or made the change from an Apple to a PC, yes, at first it felt obnoxious and foreign and even wrong. But once we became accustomed to that new environment--be it a trackball or a new, melodic suite of start-up and shut-down sounds--nothing else would do the trick.

So reserve a brick wall, cock your arm, aim, and begin smashing your brand. While you're at it, smash your website, to ensure your brand remains consistent via your web pages' navigation, style, ease, and/or special features. Now ask yourself: does my brand "own" this cross-sensory experience, from web to wireless to PDA, right down to the bricks-and-mortar product I'm gripping in my right hand? If not, your carefully crafted logo might as well not even exist.

Martin Lindstrom is a 2009 recipient of TIME Magazine’s “World's 100 Most Influential People” and author of Buyology—Truth and Lies About Why We Buy (Doubleday, New York), a New York Times and Wall Street Journal best–seller. A frequent advisor to heads of numerous Fortune 100 companies, Lindstrom has also authored 5 best sellers translated into 30 languages. More at martinlindstrom.com.

Read more by Martin Lindstrom: The 10 Most Addictive Sounds in the World

Posted via email from Music Business Information

Federal Budget Deal Welcomed by Texas Lt. Governdor David Dewhurst

Texas Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst is welcoming news that a deal on the federal budget would remove the strings attached to $830 million in federal funds for Texas.

If passed into law as expected later this week, the bill would remove a requirement that Gov. Rick Perry use the funds to supplement existing school spending rather than just replace state funds in order to balance the budget.

Dewhurst says the funds will be a big help when the state is facing a $27 billion budget shortfall in order to maintain the current level of services.

Dewhurst says the money will be spent on education. The current draft budget would cut $8 billion from state spending on education.

All The GARBAGE in Social Media

Has Social Media turned into nothing but spammers of so called big time success programs? 
Example: You subscribed to a email service and then down the road all you get are offer after offer for this or that to make you successful or rich or both.
 Then for a few weeks you get:  This is you last chance to get in on this program. 
Then you get, this is your last chance to save 50% on this wonderful program!

When will bloggers/social media gurus realize just because they give you a nothing e-book, doesn't mean you have to buy anything from them?
But many do, that's why you see so many of them flying all around the world each year spewing out the same ole Garbage In, Garbage Out junk/crap. 
You become successful when you give and expect nothing in return.
You become successful when you stop using others just for your own needs and greed!

What if you really did have information/product(s) that would help people and you only were paid a percentage of what they actually earn???

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

JUDGMENT

Liberals love accusing people of being "judgmental." And that's, like, what, supposed to be a BAD thing?

If we don't teach our kids to make judgments-and fast-how are we ever going to stop them being fleeced or mugged every time they exit the front door? And how are we ever going to survive in business if we can't suss the difference between trustworthy clients and bad debtors? Our whole life is spent learning how to form judgments-between good and bad, right and wrong, nice and nasty.

This is the basis of wisdom. But then a liberal would never understand that, wisdom being an entirely alien concept.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

Ways To Save Money At Grocery Stores

Looking for ways to save money at the grocery store? Here are some practical money-saving tips that can be used for when shopping for groceries.

They'll Catch Your Eye—And Your Wallet

• Avoid buying items on shelves at eye level. Sure they’re easier to get to—and that’s why grocers put them there! Better buys are usually found on the highest and lowest shelves.
• Avoid special displays at the ends of supermarket aisles. Many times, grocers doctor up those areas to make the items look as though they’re on sale.

It's All the Same

Store brands are generally cheaper than the heavily advertised name brands, but you’re still not sure whether to use them. Don’t knock them until you’ve tried them. Many store brands are manufactured by the same folks who make your favorite name-brand product. The difference is not in the quality of the product but, especially with canned goods, in the uniformity. Maybe all the green beans aren’t the same length, or perhaps the corn kernels are smaller than the name brand’s. Check them out before you dismiss them; nine times out of ten, you’ll be satisfied with the quality, and they’ll save you money.

Be a Unit-arian

When you compare prices, especially on nonfood items, always make sure to compare the unit prices (the price per pound, ounce, or other unit). Normally, the unit price is listed on the same shelf tag that lists the product price.

Get Tough!

Save money on your food bill by opting for less tender cuts of meat—flank steak, for instance—and marinating it overnight before you cook it.

• Store-bought oil and vinegar dressing make an easy marinade.
• Place the meat in a sealable plastic bag, pour in the dressing squeeze out all the air, and place the bag on a plate.
• Put the plate in the refrigerator up to 24 hours. The acid in the vinegar will break down the tough connective tissue in the meat, tenderizing it.

Fly Through That Grocery Store

One way to reduce the amount of time you spend food shopping is to pick one store you like and always do your shopping there. Once you’re familiar with the layout of the store, you’ll be able to find what you need quickly. Knowing where to go also decreases the chances of making impulse purchases, the bane of the bargain hunter.

Eat First, Shop Later

If you have a hard time sticking to your shopping list, try eating just before you head to the grocery store. Shopping on an empty stomach makes everything look good. Your willpower is likely to be a lot stronger if you plan your shopping trip for after a meal.

Coupons: Double or Nothing

To get the biggest saving with coupons, use them only where and when you can double or even triple them.

Join a Food Cooperative

Food co-ops are grocery stores run by their members. They generally offer better prices than their commercial counterparts. Unlike those larger stores, many co-ops sell certain foods in bulk. Some co-ops run on a membership basis; others allow anyone to shop but offer discounts to members.

Posted via email from Kleerstreem's Posterous

A Century of Interest Payments

Chart 5: Interest on Government Debt 1900-2015
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The real risk from government debt is the burden of interest payments. Experts say that when interest payments reach about 12% of GDP then a government will likely default on its debt. Chart 5 shows that the US is a long way from that risk. The peak period for government interest payments, including federal, state, and local governments, was in the 1980s, when interest rates were still high after the inflationary 1970s. Of course, the numbers don’t show the burden of interest payments from Government Sponsored Enterprises like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

Posted via email from Global Politics

Does The Bible Say That There Is No God?

---by Billy Graham

Q: I think you can make the Bible say anything you want it to say. You could even use it to prove God doesn't exist if you wanted to, because doesn't it say somewhere that there is no God? -- D.B.N.

A: Perhaps it is possible to "make the Bible say anything you want it to say" -- if you twist its clear meaning and ignore what it really says.

Take as an example the words you quoted saying "there is no God." Yes, those four words are found in the Bible -- but what the Bible really says is that only a fool would believe them. The actual quotation is this: "The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God.' They are corrupt, and their ways are vile" (Psalm 53:1). Instead of saying God doesn't exist, the Bible says the exact opposite!

My real question for you, however, is this: Why do you want to dismiss the Bible and not take it seriously? Is it because you think it isn't trustworthy -- or is there a deeper reason? Only you know the answer, but I suspect the real reason is that you want to run your own life, and you don't want God to upset your plans. Your problem isn't the Bible; your problem is yourself, and your stubborn determination to leave God out of your life.

Face honestly your attitude toward God. Then face honestly the consequences of living without Him -- both now, and in eternity. Don't be deceived, but face honestly your need of Christ and His forgiveness. Then discover the joy of knowing God personally by turning to Jesus Christ and giving your life to Him. The Bible's words are true: "In him was life, and that life was the light of men" (John 1:4).

Posted via email from Religion

Love, Dating, and Marriage

I: What is Real Love? PROBLEMS ON MARRIAGES OF TODAY: 1. More than 50% of marriages end up in divorces. 2. The remaining couples may not all be happy though they stay in the marriage. 3. The chance of having a happy marriage is less than 33%, if you follow the way how average people handle their datings and marriages. 4. The media (books, movies, dramas, newspaper...) has been delivering a wrong concept about love. 5. Problems of stalking before and after marriages (or divorces). DEFINITIONS OF LOVE: 1. Simple Infatuation: is often called a "crush" or "puppy love." It commonly strikes those in the early teens or younger. Usually the object of infatuation is some highly idealized person who is some years older - a teacher, an uncle or aunt, a friend of the family, an actor or actress. Simple infatuation seldom lasts long. But infatuated people may be greatly moved with emotion. They spend much time in daydreams and wishful fantasies. 2. Romantic Infatuation: is often called "romantic love" or simply "love." It is a mix of sex and emotion - not genuine love at all. It will not of itself support a marriage. It also leads to idealizing the person, having a much stronger sex interest in each other, and justifying a premature marriage. Romantic infatuation is therefore very dangerous because people will easily fool themselves to act out their intense feelings and sex urges. Romantic infatuation is "false love," but it may develop into real love, but it will take a lot of time. 3. Sex Interest: is a deep biological drive that seeks some erotic expression. It is possible for people to enjoy sex with someone, yet have absolutely no other interest in them except sensual satisfaction. 4. Real Love: exists when your strong tender feelings for the other are balanced by reason and deep respect. You care just as much for the other person's welfare and fulfillment as you do for your own. Judgements about the person are quite objective and rational. The two of you have many values and ideas in common. You share similar goals and ideals. All these factors will probably be able to support and sustain a happy relationship over a long period of time. If you're infatuated, your emotions will be in charge. In real love, your reason is ruling your emotions. However, REAL LOVE and ROMANTIC INFATUATION are easily confusing people because they have one thing in common - strong feelings of attachment to the other person. Moreover, people in real love have some degree of infatuation and infatuated people have some degree of real love. FACTS ABOUT LOVE AND INFATUATION 1. Many divorces and unhappy marriages have roots of infatuation and sex interest only. 2. Most youth are not sure what real love is. 3. Age and maturity give no immunity of infatuation. 4. Teen marriages have twice the risk that they will end in divorces. 5. Living together and have sex before marriage have tougher times to adjust after marriage. 6. One-sided loves won't work. 7. The following people are far more likely to have good marriage: o Your parents are happy in their marriage o You had a happy childhood o There was a lack of conflict with mother o There was a lack of conflict with father o Home discipline was firm but not harsh o You had a strong attachment to your mother o You had a strong attachment to your father o Your parents were frank with you about sex o Your childhood punishment was infrequent and mild o You have an expectant, positive attitude toward sex that is free from disgust or distaste. Even if all of these factors are negative, you can still build a good marriage. But you will have to work harder and be more careful in your mate choice. 8. Good Marriages need to have these five types of love: o Strong sex interest: strong erotic feelings for each other o Respect and admiration: hold each other in high regard o Friendship and fellowship: have many things in common o Self-giving devotion: love in spite of each other's faults o Affection: a shoulder to cry on when our burdens are too heavy to bear alone. THE FOURTEEN CLUES OF LOVE Warnings about these clues: 1. The order is not important. 2. No clue can stand alone. All of them are important. Failing one or more does not mean you have to break up with your partner right away. It just means that you two are not ready for marriage and need more time to work them out. 3. One-sided loves won't work. CLUE 1. What is the major attraction? Infatuation: your main interest is likely to be the person's physical equipment. The main stress is on things you can perceive right away - what you can see, hear, smell, taste, or touch. A marriage based only on sex attraction will last no more than three to five years. Real Love: your interest is in his or her total personality. Before marriage, ask yourself: "What's she going to look like in 30 years?" It is a sign of real love if the answer is, "She will still look beautiful because of her wonderful personality." CLUE 2. How many factors attract? Infatuation: the number of factors that attract you are relatively few. Just the smile? Just the pretty face? Just the lovely hair? Just the funny jokes? Real Love: many or most qualities of the person - and the relationship - attract you. You like not only the way the person looks and talks, but the way he or she thinks and feels about things and other people. Do you like the person's reactions to personal success? To failure? To tough challenges? To faults in his or her self, and in you or others? What about use of leisure time? And what about thoughtfulness, kindness, courage, temper, and temperament? Does the person have healthy and balanced attitudes toward money, sex, school, family, and friends? Toward the past and the future? What about bad habits? Ask yourself two important questions: 1) How many of the countless characteristics of this person do I know enough about? 2) How many of those things do I find attractive? It takes time and effort to know a person extremely well. Only then can you judge your reaction to the many, many facets of that person's nature. If many or most of those factors attract you, this tends to indicate real love. When the excitement and romance wear off in a marriage, you need lots of other interests in common to hold you together over the long pull. You need to like each other as well as love each other. It does not matter much that you like the same kind of pizzas and movies. It matters very much whether you agree on life- style and whether you want to have children, makes lots of money, or have two separate careers. Two persons who are psychological opposites may attract and have a good marriage. Social opposites almost never do. It is alright for a dominant person to have a submissive mate. However, the greater the social differences, e.g. a very rich and a very poor, the greater the dangers. The more you two agree on these issues, the better your chances for success in marriage: ROOTS: How similar are you as to: Social Class? Racial, national, and ethnic roots? City vs. country backgrounds? Religions? VALUES: What is very important to you: Religion? Money? Social position and acceptance? Prestige? Sex before/after marriage? Who decides? CHILDREN: Do you like them? Want them? How many? What about birth control? If so, what kind? Who is responsible for it? MONEY: How much is enough? Who will make it? Save it? For what? Spend it? On what? Who'll budget, pay bills, do the shopping? (More married couples fight about money than any other thing.) SEX ROLES: Who'll make decisions? Will both work? Will you share home chores? If babies come, will the wife work outside the home? WHERE AND HOW TO LIVE: Region? Rural or urban? Fancy or modest? MAIN INTERESTS: Hobbies? Vocation plans? Education? Recreation likes and dislikes? INVESTMENT IN YOUR FUTURE: What do you plan to do about war, pollution, poverty, and so on? CONCEPTS OF MARRIAGE: Permanent? Trust and fidelity? Companionship? MAJOR GOALS AND HOPES FOR THE FUTURE: What do you want out of life? How will you get there from here? Who can help? COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Can the two of you work out differences? Can you talk over problems with honesty? Can you solve disputes without hurting each other? Do either of you get mad or get grumpy when things don't go your way? Do you feel free to share your true feelings, or do you hold back out of fear or lack of trust and confidence? You'd best find out before you marry. CLUE 3. How did it start? Infatuation: tends to start fast. There is no such thing as love at first sight. A human personality is much too complex to permit that kind of instant insight. Your senses show you only the superficial, the shallow shell. Real love requires that you know and like the other person's whole self, and it takes time. Real Love: starts slowly. Studies have shown that the longer the period of courtship and engagement, the better the chances for success in a marriage. There is no substitute for passing the test of time. A year is better than six months. Three years are better than two, five better than four. The quality of the time spent with each other is as important as the quantity. Understand that people can be great actors. We all tend to play games with one another, to appear to be what we are not. A couple might date for a long period, yet have only a shallow knowledge of each other. You need to find out what the person is like way down deep inside, beneath the display- window mask. Caution to older people: People at late 20s are tempted to marry in haste. Caution to young people: You are more likely to be infatuated than genuinely in love. CLUE 4. How consistent is your level of interest? Infatuation: a couple's interest in each other fluctuates a lot. One day you feel sure this is the right person for marriage. Then you develop doubts and wonder if the two of you should date others for a while, to test your feelings more. The reason is you are attracted to only a few things about the other person - probably physical and surface traits. Your interest in each other grew rather fast. The roots of such a relationship are too thin to nourish it for long. Sex may also be the reason for lack of consistent interest. If a couple becomes involved in pleasurable sex behavior, their interest in each other may vary accordingly to the strength of their sex urge at any given time. Real Love: the relationship tends to even out and interest in each other is consistent. If you don't reach the peaks of excitement so prevalent in infatuation, neither do you plunge to the depths. As time goes on, you come to count on your love. You know it will be there when you need it. That is not to say that in real love there is no problems to solve, especially in the early stages of your courtship. Problems of adjustment cannot be avoided. But the longer you know each other, the easier it is to cope when you have real love. The best way to predict the future is to study closely the evidence from the past and the experience of the present. If you had a good relationship all last week, and the week before that, and the month before that, then you are more likely to have it next week, next month, and the year after that. CLUE 5. How does it affect your personality? Infatuation: causes a disorganizing and destructive effect on your personality. Infatuation makes you less effective, less efficient, less your real self. Infatuation is irresponsible and fails to consider the future consequences of today's actions. In such a condition, you might well lose your head and do things you wouldn't otherwise think of doing. You may even foul up your whole life. One-sided love or infatuation and the PRINCIPLE OF LEAST INTEREST: in a one-sided romance, the partner who has the least interest in continuing the affair is able to control the other person. That's because the one who is more involved has more at stake. No one should use another human being for selfish purposes, but people often do. E.g. a girl who doesn't care much for a boy may keep him just to build up her ego to have someone care so much for her. Or for a convenience that she can always count on him for a date if nobody else asks her. She knows he'll put up with shabby treatment because he's so emotionally involved. Or the boy may demand more sexual favors than his girlfriend wants to give. Real Love: has an organizing and a constructive effect on your personality. It brings out the best in you. There is an intense and satisfying feeling of greater self-realization and expression, as well as a feeling of having one's own personality reinforced and strengthened and enriched. Love gives you new energy and ambition, and more interest in life. It is creative, brings an eagerness to grow, to improve, to work for worthy purposes and ideals. Love is associated with feelings of self-confidence, trust and security. Love lifted you to new levels of maturity and responsible action. When you love a person you make an effort to be more deserving of the beloved. You want your beloved to be proud of you, so you try harder. Life has more purpose. You make plans and save for the future. Life takes on new meaning, more sparkle. What if you have loved and lost? You may have had a real love relationship that did not result in marriage. Perhaps one or both of you did not recognize at the time that it was real love. Or some tragedy may have robbed you of your beloved. In spite of the pain of loss, you still are likely to be a better person for having had love. You can better understand yourself and be better prepared for finding success in your future relationships. You will be more mature. You grew through your love experience, and that growth will not all wither away. Whatever happened, real love will have an organizing and constructive effect on your personality. CLUE 6. How and when does it end? Infatuation: it stops the same way it starts - fast. The few things you do like about the other person - even those strongly held at first - begin to wear thin. All those other things you don't have in common begin more and more to rear their ugly heads. You begin to quarrels, conflicts, even fights, and then doubts about your "love." Soon you break up, UNLESS you and your partner become involved in mutually satisfying sexual relations. Then sex will frustrate the usual test of time. A good sexual relationship may hold a couple together as long as three to five years. But that's about it. Sex alone will not keep a couple together longer than that. MAKING UP THE TEST OF TIME if you are already involved in satisfying sex relations by stop doing it. Real Love: it stops slowly. It will take long time to end a relationship and it will take long time to get over it. Love involves meshing many, many facets of two personalities. You grow together and become a unit. The person becomes a basic part of you, of your own personality. If a break comes, you are just not going to be the same. In fact, you may never quite get over it for as long as you live. That does not mean that you cannot love again. Social scientists are certain that there are a number of persons in this world with whom each of us normally can have a genuine, deep-seated love that will last. CLUE 7. How do you see each other? Infatuation: you live in a two-persons world. You two tend to neglect your family and pay little or no attention to your other friends. You turn a deaf ear to your teachers or your boss. You fail to do your homework. You lose interest in things that used to excite you. It becomes not only the most important thing in your world, but the only thing that really matters to you. Your relationship tends to be exclusive. Your other friends feel left out, neglected, or ignored. Since this "romantic love" (infatuation) is of such central concern to you, nothing must be allowed to stand in its way. You think you are justified in giving up anything in favor of this amazing event that has happened so unexpectedly. Infatuation is a vaccine that immunizes you against seeing anything wrong with the other person. You tend to idealized your partner. No one can tell you anything wrong about the object of your affections. At best, you won't believe it. At worst, you may turn against the accuser in anger and rejection. If you are infatuated, you defend the other person against all critics. You just will not admit that he or she has any faults. You idealize not only each other, but also your situation. You two may have gross problems and obstacles to cope with - different religions, hopes, values, family, and cultural backgrounds. Danger signals by the dozen! Yet you are not concerned. You don't even feel the need to think about these enormous hazards before marriage. You think that somehow it all just has to come out OK. What makes us idealize so much? For one thing, we tend to be on our best behavior while courting. We show only our best side. Another reason is the ""halo effect," or the tendency to judge the whole personality largely in terms of one or two highly admired qualities. One great trait or two can fool us into thinking that the whole person is great as well. And sex gets into the act, too. One study showed that male subjects who were sexually aroused rated the pictures of the same girls to be much more attractive than did the same males when they were not aroused. So in infatuation, you'll tend to see what you want to see in the other person, rather than what is really there. LOVE IS NOT BLIND, INFATUATION IS. IF IT'S LOVE, YOU ADMIT THEIR FAULTS BUT LOVE THE PERSON IN SPITE OF THEM. You see the person's real merits and build on that. A mutual process is set in motion. Your love leads you to appreciate the best in the other. In turn, as the other person learns of your love, it brings out the best in her or him. You are frank to admit that the other person is not perfect. But you see so much to be admired and respected that you can live with those faults. Real Love: as with infatuation, in real love the beloved may well be the most important person in the world to you. But there's the big difference. In real love, you expand your world to include the beloved. If you really love each other, you don't abandon or neglect your other relationships. Instead, you just add this wonderful new relationship to all the others you have. It becomes a plus, not a replacement. You still maintain good ties with your family, your friends, your teachers. You retain your interest in your work or studies - assuming that you had such an interest in the first place. Things that you liked to do before, you still like to do. Your world grows larger, not narrower. IS LOVE BLIND? No, but infatuation is. Infatuation, like other extreme emotions such as anger, hate, and fear, distorts thinking. Only the passing of time will bring about gradual return to reality. When the ideal bubble bursts - and burst it will - pain and disillusionment sets in. Again, it pays to be honest. Much of the pain and tragedy of romantic infatuation could be avoided if the couple would level with themselves and with each other. Instead, they hide their faults and misled the other into thinking they are something they are not. For this they pay an awful price. Perhaps the most important reason for self-disclosure is that without it we cannot truly love. How can I love a person I don't know? How can the other person love me if he doesn't know me? The answer: HONESTY IS A MUST. We should behave like small children and "act our real selves." Perhaps this is what Jesus meant when he said one must become as a little child to enter the kingdom of God. Time is the infatuated person's best friend. It is both the great reveal-er and the great healer. When your heart has been broken, time will heal the hurt. Time also is the best antidote for the deadly poison of idealization. As interaction increases, knowledge converts the dream image into awareness of the real partner. Awareness punctures the dream bubble and brings the relationship down to earth. Time can shield you from plunging into an unsound marriage on the strength of a mere infatuation. Love that is time tested is the real thing.

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