To an Old Dead Friend [From Donkeyland-USA]

In the heydays of the early-sixties
car-loads of us neighborhood-bums
ignorant and arrogant dreamers
came crashing through the streets,
funny we all remained alive,
free-spirited Christian infidels,
with stray spirits, many never find
the way out, too good to be true.

Often I used to loiter
past the old church steps
to the Mount Airy Bar, time after time
like you, waiting for something….
There in that neighborhood we got hooked,
like two bears to honey,
someone, somewhere praying for our souls,
“Where is God, take me from this booze.”

Now I stand outside the consecrated ground
remembering your high school smile,
You lost, but like one who’d won…
I gave it all up, long pursuit of God’s
demon, man-slayers with drugs and booze,
those transitory imps, fell off you lice
back into the neighborhood, like friendly mice,
when you died, in your early fifties,
still covered, confused, and drugged,
true to your boyish wariness in high school.

Old friend, I see your wife burdened,
living a single life, on whatever she can,
under your hand, she was nothing
worn, waiting for you to come home,
broken-hearted lioness, hands of stone
waitingthen you hung yourself in prison.

#1374 6/25/06

See Dennis’ web site: http://dennissiluk.tripod.com

Making Space for Sacred Space

When you read a great inspirational book, prayer, or article, don’t you think to yourself, “What a great idea! I should do more daily rituals, prayer, meditation.”? It always seems like a great idea, right? We know that sacred practices and sacred space bring peace, harmony, joy, and ease into our lives. Sounds like a great idea!

The problem is that the impulse to add more sacred activity into our lives only lasts for a few moments-then life intrudes and we forget all about it until the next time we read something inspiring. So how can we really make space for sacred space in our lives? Luckily it’s not as hard as you think. Check out these simple ways you can expand the sacred in your life:

1) Be Simple and Consistent: Consistency in creating sacred space is much more important than quantity. Choose one sacred practice you will do every day, and do it every day. Even if you just sit and breathe for 3 minutes in silence, you’ll feel the benefit of those 3 minutes throughout your day.

2) Clear Out the Clutter: Sacred space means actually having a space where you can be in the sacred. Dedicate one area of your house to the sacred by clearing out all the excess junk, creating an altar or space for sacred objects there, and keeping it fresh with incense, candles, or plants. Keep the area energetically clean with by smudging (get instructions by sending a blank email to cleansmudge@shamanschool.com).*

3) Have Great Beginnings or Endings: Putting sacred practice at the beginning or end of your day will make it easier to remember and do. Starting your day with sacred practice will bring you peace and awareness throughout the day. Ending your day with sacred practice will help you rest deeply and beneficially.

4) Take Your Sacred Space Outdoors: There’s nothing like nature to bring the sacred into our awareness. If you find it difficult to get out of your daily routine indoors, spend a few moments outdoors each day, greeting the sky and earth. You’ll be amazed at how fast you connect to the sacred.

5) Move in Sacredness: For those of us who can’t sit still long enough to meditate, walking can also be a way to create the sacred. Walking and praying, or walking and talking with our higher powers can create sacred space around you, plus you can take it with you everywhere you go!

Stephanie Yeh is co-founder of the Esoteric School of Shamanism and Magic (http://www.shamanschool.com). Through this online school she helps clients use magical and shamanic techniques to manifest their desires. She teaches clients to use a variety of soft magic (meditation, angels, animal totems, visualization) and hard magic (energy handling, sonics, spellwork, and tarot) techniques to improve many aspects of life and work, including career, health, relationships, and prosperity. Stephanie has created several online and video classes in conjunction with the telecourse format the school utilizes in her attempt to make this valuable information accessible to as many people as possible.

Stephanie is deeply committed to the study and experience of prosperity and to helping other people achieve and experience prosperity. Through the study and application of spiritual principles, which she is involved with through the Esoteric School and with the help of a strong 15-year network marketing business, Stephanie and her partner have helped many people achieve their prosperity goals. Through her site, Prosperity Abounds (http://www.prosperity-abounds.com), she helps others learn to create abundant health and wealth with spiritual and practical resources including Super Blue Green Algae from Cell Tech.

Currently Stephanie continues her quest to share information with her latest project, a free teleconference series sponsored by the Esoteric School on a variety of magickal and shamanic topics with guest speakers from different spiritual communities.

articles@shamanschool.com

Passive Income Opportunities

There have never been more passive income opportunities than there are today. Thanks to the Internet, passive income no longer has to be a dream, but can easily become a reality.

Passive income can be basically defined as income that you don’t actually do anything to get. In the past, this most often meant owning rental properties or being a silent partner in a business.

Another way people did, and still do, create passive income was through direct sales. They would start selling a product such as Avon, Tupperware or Amway and recruit others to sell as well.

In exchange for bringing people into the business, they’re given a percentage of any sales those people make. This, then, enabled them to stop actively selling the product and still make significant amounts of money.

With the advent of the Internet, though, opportunities for passive income has broadened and become easier than ever to develop.

A person can now write articles or ebooks that can generate passive income for years. Someone can even sell the rights to their written products and only take a small to moderate commission on future sales of those products by others to create a wonderful ongoing passive income opportunity.

Many people have harnessed the power of the Internet in Web sites that they build and work at until it is possible to have it running automatically, with little or no maintenance.

This, however, takes a long time to happen, and a person doing this would be wise to still keep a close watch on their Web site businesses to ensure their customers are getting great service.

They will also want to pay attention to Internet marketing trends and be sure they make adjustments to keep their online business as up to date as possible to ensure the passive income opportunity remains reliable and even grows.

They may also want to expand their passive income opportunity by duplicating it with new and different Web site and online businesses.

Read more free investment tips, tutorials & reviews at http://www.Global-Investment-Institute.com

Northern Jersey car lots

It surprises some people when they hear that one of the most controversial topics in the travel business lately revolves around Newark Airport parking. Perhaps this is because so many travelers have been turned away at their favorite lots of the holiday season in 2007. Newark Liberty International Airport is a favorite among seasoned travelers in the Tri-state area, but for some people the parking situation leaves something to be desired.

The best advice travel pros give for this situation is to reserve a spot in advance on the internet. There are several parking lots at or near Newark that offer this feature, and this comes at no additional cost so it’s definitely worth it. So many people are late for their flight as it is, partly due to increase security screening procedures at all US airports, so setting yourself up for parking complications is a big mistake. Fortunately, most people learn this lesson quickly after they nearly miss their flight, but others aren’t so lucky and they literally have to cancel their vacation because instead of being at the gate they are driving around in circles trying to ditch their car. If you are the type who likes to wing it for things like this, then fine, but I’ll be down in Miami sipping a margarita while you are trying to get on the next flight.

Basketball Returns on Superbowl Sunday

Jazz @ Kings:

It was only a few days ago that these two met and the Kings went 0-20 in the 4th. Now Sacramento will try to match the Jazz’s defense, however they’ll have to do it without Ron Artest. Ron Artest injured himself against the Utah Jazz in their last meeting. This is a Revenge game at home for the Sacramento Kings and we expect them to ball out impressively. If they get to 90, they’ll probably win. Chances are they will go above 100. But they have to hit 4th quarter shots to do it. There should be no problem for this team at home.
Predicted Score: Sacramento wins agains the spread comfortbaly.

Knicks @ Rockets:

By the way these two games are matinee games so they won’t compete with the Superbowl. New York should be right for the picking and Houston should dominate. However with their pitiful attendance and inexcusable home record the Rockets will struggle. We are going to go out on a limb and predict the Rockets to lose the game straight up and against the spread. The tone for this game will be defense but Vegas will lull you into taking the Under in this game. Don’t get fooled.

Predicted Score: New York wins 95-91

Check out our Premium and Free Baseball Betting Systems and more expert articles on sports.

The Crazy World of F1 Racing

In the beginning of the nineteen-hundreds F1 Motor Racing took place with unbalanced racing vehicles and elder gentleman drivers, however the genuine Formula One Motor Racing competition didn?t initiate until the nineteen-fifties. While the decades drove by & the sporting competition fan base grew it almost immediately became evident that Formula 1 was the high point in motor sport. The racing cars were the quickest, the knowledge was the most developed & the racing drivers were at the height of their strength coming from neighbouring countries all around the earth.

With the latest introduction of sponsorship interest, Formula 1 took on it’s more commercial appearance & may at this moment be distinguished as being very big business ? with development costs reaching millions and even billions with great ease. With huge success comes politic interest and from time to time it is the contacts you are acquainted to & how much cash you are in possession of that gets you what you aspire to. F1 is riddled with conspiracy theorists ? I will admit to being one of them ? but depending on how gripped you want to get in the Formula One world, that area of things is easily discounted. What if truth be hold matters is what arises on the circuit.

Touring from corner to corner across the world for almost eight months of the year, Formula 1 Racing rolls into different countries large & small, rich & deprived, with brilliant landscapes, beautiful sightseers and heaps of native culture to be soaked up. A race weekend covers Friday, Saturday & Sunday, a F1 weekend is a demanding ride, from early testing, to the dying laps of the Formula One motor race. For more information about Formula One visit http://www.f1tribute.com today.

The traditional organisation consists of a F1 race every two weeks. Every now and then the Formula One calendar is changed with a little bit and there are F1 races on one after another weekends, or sometimes you have to go one or two weeks before seeing the well-known motor racing drivers again. When it is time for another grand prix, you can study the news for your much-loved Formula 1 constructor as they get to their destination. Friday is made up of practice meetings, Saturday is for qualifying and Sunday is race day.

Why Work Slow-Down Can Be the Virtual Assistant’s Best Friend

Quiet times in business happen to all of us. They happen to
established Virtual Assistants, as well as to those just
starting out. The phone stops ringing, your email inbox is so
empty you wonder if your internet service is down and you can’t
think of a make-work project to save your life. The good news is
that once you’ve experienced a few quiet times and learned that
they always end, they’ll lose their ability to frighten you. But
I understand that until you have that experience there can be
scary, hairy monsters waiting in the quiet hours when your work
has dried up.

Therefore, I want to offer you ten proven ways to banish those
monsters, and even turn those quiet hours to your advantage.
Using some of the items and ideas from the list below will help
not only keep you occupied while business is slow, but they will
add to the strong business foundation you are already building.
What I am trying to do with this list is maximize the potential
in your business so that you do not unnecessarily fall victim to
work slow-down when you don’t want to.

1. Follow up on old leads. It sounds simple but this number one
tip can be a lifesaver and a business-builder. Dig through your
contact files (you do keep a list of business leads, right?) and
refresh the memory of those you haven’t talked to in a while.
Send them a ‘thinking of you and your business’ email, mail them
a card with your business card enclosed, send them an e-card
that announces a new service you are offering. Ensure ALL your
leads, old and new, are keeping you top-of-mind when they
realize they need virtual support.

2. Clean up something you’ve been tolerating. ‘Tolerating’ is a
coaching word - it means those undone tasks and buried ideas
that we carry around with us, sometimes unconsciously, that can
drain our energy. What comes to mind when you think of something
you carry around with you mentally all the time? Do you need to
complete a business relationship with someone you’ve been
dreading to call? Do you have a pile of paper that needs filing?
Is there a page or two of your web site that are not complete?
Is there some task you’ve been putting off for months or even
years? In order to move forward, we need the energy, both mental
and physical, to do so. These things that we are tolerating
drain our energy and therefore prevent us from achieving all we
wish to. Stop tolerating, even one thing, and you’ll make room
for more success.

3. Call your mother (or your best friend, or your coach or
mentor) and ask for what you need. Being a self-employed
professional can be a tough row to hoe. Get the emotional
support you need to keep going. The person you call (or even
better, speak to in person) should be someone you trust with
your feelings and someone who can applaud and congratulate you
when it’s needed. Share some of your fears and doubts with this
person and then ask them for what you need. Maybe you need them
to tell you they are proud of you. Maybe you need them to call
you once a week and check in to see how you are. Whatever it is,
ask for it. You’ll be surprised how much our loved ones want to
know what we want from them. With this kind of support in your
life, you are much more likely to succeed.

4. Ensure you are ready for new business. One of the best ways
to ensure we attract new business is to make sure (that’s 100%
sure) we are fully prepared for when that business arrives. Do
you have a welcome package completely ready to give to a client?
If a new client called five minutes from now could you send it
to them right away? Are you organized enough to bring on new
business? Do you feel on top of your current to dos and your
business calendar? Do you have a process in place to bring a new
client on board (i.e. a ‘first meeting’ agenda or a list of
questions to ask new clients about what they need from you)? To
ensure that you are not unconsciously pushing new business away
because you are not ready, make sure that you are able to answer
“yes” to all the above questions.

5. Do one thing you’re afraid of. I’m not asking you to learn to
skydive naked, but there is value in making sure that there are
not business-building activities that we are avoiding because we
are afraid of them. Choose one thing, even a small one at first,
that you are afraid of doing and do it. Are you afraid of
joining a networking group? Are you afraid of calling your old
boss and asking her out to lunch to discuss Virtual Assistance?
Are you avoiding giving a presentation to a group that has asked
you? These are just examples to get you thinking; by now your
little voice is telling you what your own personal
monster-in-the-dark is. By standing up and staring that monster
down, walking right into his mouth and dancing around, you will
emerge stronger, more confident and more proud of yourself. Take
a chance and build yourself up by doing something you’re afraid
of.

6. Create some space. Recently I went through my office
bookshelf and cleaned out some books that I was not using and
donated them to charity. I made a small bit of room on one
shelf, but it made a huge difference to the amount of available
space in my head. Are you feeling cluttered and buried under
paper? Do your files need to be cleaned out and re-organized?
How about those piles of things on the floor you step over every
day? Clean physical space can go a long way to helping us flow
more clearly with our business lives. Look at your physical
space and see if there is ‘room’ for improvement.

7. Put one new customer service in place. Adding an ‘added
value’ item to your list of services can really help to build
your clients’ perception of you as a valued member of their
team. This new customer service item can either be something you
announce to clients (e-zine support, bookkeeping, virtual dog
walking) or something you do ‘above and beyond the call of duty’
(client birthday cards, a regular check-in with a busy client to
see what more you can do, 15 minutes of your time that you don’t
bill for). We are in a customer service business and our clients
are our most important resource. What new feature can you add to
your services that regularly bring home to your clients how much
you value them?

8. Stay in front of your ‘circle of influence’. Building on item
7, we can always benefit from ensuring that those people in our
lives whom we regard as our ‘circle of influence’ are aware of
what we are doing and that we are looking for new business. The
members of your circle of influence are those people in your
life who have the ability to drive business toward you. They are
your mentors, your colleagues, your past business associates.
One easy business-building technique is to have a list of
specifically who these people are in your life and then contact
them periodically to let them know you are still in business.
You can make announcements about new services to them and ensure
that they keep you top-of-mind when they are recommending
Virtual Assistance to people they meet.

9. Listen to your muse. Business isn’t “all business”, even
though some might want you to believe that. The creative vein
that runs through each and every one of us can be a great asset
when we are marketing and building our businesses. Have you ever
had a really ‘crazy’ idea about how to educate potential clients
about what you do? Have you ever seen someone else’s marketing
or advertising materials and been thrilled by the ‘out of the
box’ thinking that obviously went into them? (And then realized
you had that idea six months ago and didn’t follow up on it.
Bummer.) Let your creative juices flow. Don’t be afraid to do
something that’s a little bit ingenious to market your business
and attract new clients. I have one former client who is a coach
who has gotten together with several other entrepreneurial women
(massage therapists, estheticians, arts teachers) and is
throwing a pajama party for women next month. It is a completely
crazy idea and it looks like so much fun! What could you do that
would get people thinking, “Wow!” and put a smile on their faces.

10. Talk to a mentor. Our last item comes from the “no need to
reinvent the wheel” department. Do you know someone who is a
well established VA or entrepreneur? If so, why not call that
person up, ask them if you could buy them a cup of tea and pick
their brain a bit. What did they do that helped them succeed?
What rough spots did they hit that you could avoid? You could
even ask them, “If you were in my position right now, what is
one thing you would do to grow my business?” People love talking
about their successes and I bet you’ll be surprised at all the
valuable information that comes forth when you simply ask.

There you have it. Ten things you can do RIGHT NOW to keep your
business-building momentum going even when you are experiencing
a temporary work slow-down.

Duet Acting Scripts - Write Your Own!

Duet acting scripts are difficult to find on the Internet. If
you’ve done any poking around at all in search of one, you
already know this. But there is an alternative. More important,
it’s an alternative that will not only help hone your acting
skills, but also aid you in understanding your characters even
better.

The solution?

Write your own duet acting scripts.

I know. I know. Writing’s scary. But this doesn’t need to be a
painful process or even a particularly difficult one. In fact,
it can and should contribute to your inventory of acting skills
by forcing you to become more in touch with and more observant
of the world of characters already all around you. Especially
those who might otherwise go unnoticed.

And that’s the key to writing your own duet acting scripts:
observation. The better you are at observing, the easier the
writing is going to be.

Ready to get started?

The easiest, most direct path to writing your own scripts is to
start a swipe file. If you aren’t familiar with a swipe file,
this is a term that’s often used in marketing and copywriting
circles. A good copywriter will save ads, brochures, and mailers
that he comes across so he can learn from them and refer back to
them when he’s developing his own ad campaigns. Now, he doesn’t
just copy this material and present it as his own. He simply
draws upon it for inspiration and guidance.

This is what you should be doing, too. You won’t be looking at
ads, of course, but you will be carefully observing the
interactions of the people around you and recording your
observations.

For example, you’re in the checkout lane at the store, picking
up a few groceries, and the checker is chatting with the bagger.
They’re talking about the date the checker went on the night
before and how it was a dud. That’s a duet script.

For example, you take your dog into the veterinary office for
his annual series of shots and there are two other dog owners in
the waiting room. One has a dog with a broken leg that’s
healing. The other has a puppy that’s tugging on the chain, full
of energy, wanting to play with the healing dog. Gradually, you
see the tension growing between the two dog owners until it
suddenly spills over into a conversation about responsible dog
ownership. That’s a duet script.

For example, you’re at the local bookstore, reading a mystery
and enjoying a cup of coffee, when a woman comes through the
door, admonishing her elderly mother about the fact that she
doesn’t get out enough. That’s a duet.

These are everyday occurences. They happen all around you. But
you know what makes them worth your attention? They reveal
character. Each and every one reveals character. And that’s what
a good duet script should do.

It won’t take you long before you’ll have a fairly weighty file
of these situations, trust me. Most of the writing is already
done for you. The words that are exchanged in these situations
are honest words. They cut into the heart of each person. And
they’re all right there for the taking.

Now, there’s a very simple technique you can use to take a
single situation and turn it into multiple duet acting scripts.
You change the characters. Instead of the mother and daughter
coming through the door, it’s a mother and son. Instead of the
daughter concerned about her mother not getting out, have the
mother concerned about her daughter. Try a bitter daughter. Try
a meek daughter. Try a guilty daughter. Try a blind daughter.
The potential for unique characters is endless. You already have
the foundation in hand. All you need is to explore the
possibilities.

Writing a duet acting script doesn’t have to be overwhelming.
Using the techniques we’ve touched upon here, you’ll not only
build a great library of scripts, you’ll expand your
understanding, empathy and awareness of character.

It’s worth the extra effort. Try it. You’ll see.

Fresh Gourmet Coffee

Coffee is one of the most popular beverages in the world. It’s rich, full-bodied taste is a daily necessity to millions of people. Of course, coffee is not only loved for its taste. The caffeine kick is needed by many to start the day. But if you are a true coffee lover, fresh gourmet coffee has a taste that can’t be beat.

Luckily, it’s easy to get a hit of fresh gourmet coffee almost everywhere. There are coffee shops on almost every street corner and quality coffee beans are sold in many specialty shops as well as supermarkets.

“Fresh” is the key to fresh gourmet coffee. Coffee simply does not improve with age — it should be used within six months of production. Some of the large coffee distributors include old coffee beans in their mixes to reduce the cost. Needless to say, this practice also reduces the flavor.

Fresh gourmet coffee costs a bit more than regular supermarket coffee. That’s because it’s made from high quality Arabica coffee that has been hand-picked in processed. Commercial grade coffee is made from the cheaper Robusta coffee which has an inferior taste and texture than Arabica.

Commercial grade coffee is also machine picked and processed which means that foreign substances such as twigs and leaves find their way into the finished product. When you buy fresh gourmet coffee, you are assured of the quality and taste.

You have many choices when it comes to fresh gourmet coffee. Each coffee growing region produces a uniquely flavored coffee bean and the processing method to also determines the final taste of the coffee. The roasting method in particular determines the kind of coffee taste.

Fresh gourmet coffee should be ground just before brewing. You need a coffee grinder in your home if you want to the best tasting coffee possible. A good-quality coffee maker is also a necessity when making great tasting coffee.

Hans is author of
the Coffee
Specials and Gourmet Basket section at http://www.steaks-guide.com

Generation Laptop

In May 2005 U.S hardware history was made.

This was the first time that laptops sold more than desktop computers in a single month. Indeed, Current Analysis, an innovative research firm headquartered in Sterling, Virginia, confirmed that laptop sales leapt to 53.3 per cent of the total PC retail market in May 2005.

Were these figures just a blip on the the computer sales radar? Let your own eyes answer that question for you - Folks using laptops are everywhere! - People checking their emails in coffee shops, students studying interactively in the classroom, business men and women compiling data reports on planes and trains.

So, what current factors contribute to the massive popularity of laptops with the computer buying public?

AFFORDABILITY

Five years ago, you could walk into a computer store with four thousand dollars, and emerge bow legged, carrying a bulky notebook computer the size of a sewing machine - about as cutting edge as grandpa’s pipe and smoking jacket. Today you can pick up a Compaq NX6125 from HP, equipped with a biometric fingerprint reader, 60GB hard drive, and an AMD 64 bit Turion processor for less than $1000!

Expect prices for laptops to get even lower in the coming months thanks to intense competition between the two heavyweight processor manufacturers, Intel and AMD. Both companies have introduced mobile chips with speeds that offer desktop performance.

CONNECTIVITY

Laptops with Wi-Fi are no longer an optional luxury. At Mammoth Coffee in Newport, Ohio, more and more business owners are jostling for notebook “office space”, - to the modest tune of a blueberry muffin, and a Cafe Au Lait.

Those who dine at fine restaurants at the very least expect a sensory, savory meal, set upon a table with fine silver and white table cloths; superior service; and ambient lighting. Well that’s exactly what’s on the menu at Trapeze restaurant in Burlingame, California,- along with wireless access service for laptops.

Wireless fidelity has moved effortlessly from the boundaries of home and office to the pristine elegance of posh restaurants. But, will the wireless laptop revolution end here?

Last Mile Communications have even greater ambitions for Wi-Fi notebooks. They hope to use the established infrastructure of the many lamp-posts dotting around merry old England to produce a network of wireless access points.

This ambitious UK company would like convert the street lights so they can be accessed via your laptop to get on the internet. Last mile would also like to put flash memory in the lights so even without accessing the web you could find information about local amenities, and emergency fire, police and ambulance services.

PORTABILITY

Laptops with performance rivalling that of desktop computers used to be knee breakers - Not any more. A stream of high quality ultralights and ultraportables have flooded onto the market in the last few months.

Acer’s Red dot award winner,the Travelmate 3000 boasts a widescreen 12.1 inch panoramic display, and the notebook’s compact chassis occupies less desktop space than a sheet of A4 paper - weighing just 1.4kg. The Sony T2, a sleek silver ultralight laptop, is equipped with a 60GB hard drive, 1.2GHz processor and weighs just under 1.4kg.

Too big you say? How about Toshiba’s Libretto U100? This laptop weighs just 2.16 pounds, has a 1.20GHz Intel Pentium M processor, and sports a hard drive protection system.

Tom Fox writes for the Laptops Weblog - Laptopical is a site dedicated to offering relevant news commentary and reviews about notebook computers.

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