Love Is a Verb

May 19, 2012 – 5:38 am
If you were to describe love, most people would say that it’s a feeling, a strong attraction, and a sense of belonging. I am not saying that these are not part of love, but love is a verb – its what you do. Love is an action. It is not enough to say I love you to someone and do nothing that backs it up. Action does speak louder than words. As a father and grandfather, I have discovered that more is caught than taught. It was like my children could not hear what I was saying because my actions were drowning my words out. Children can spot a phony a mile away. I don’t know what it is about children, but they can sense hypocrisy and duplicity very easily.

A baby sitter once looked disgustingly at the litter box and asked the young boy, “Does your mother do this?” The boy replied, “No, that’s the cat’s.” Funny as it was, it made me think that love is, well, cleaning out the litter box. Love is doing the dishes, taking out the trash, and vacuuming the living room. (By the way, she does draw the line at my doing laundry…something about pink T-shirts.) What I was trying to teach my children and my grandchildren was that love is not just hugs, kisses, cards, and flowers. Its not even saying, “I love you.” These are a part of love, but love is a verb. It is deeds in action. Even though it has taken me awhile, I have finally recognized that love is a verb – its what you do. Even if its cat “do do.”

I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God-this is your true and proper worship. Romans 12:1 (NIV)


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Real Housewives of Orange County Tamra Barney and Vicki Gunvalson Launch a New Venue

May 17, 2012 – 12:28 pm

Enjoy the wines personally selected by Real Housewives of Orange County Tamra Barney and Vicki Gunvalson. Launching Winesbywives, Barney and Gunvalson from the reality TV show “Real Housewives of Orange County” packed the red carpet with wine connoisseurs at The Lexington Social House in Hollywood.

Created with entrepreneur Christopher Gravagna, Winesbywives members enjoy with each monthly subscription fee, a couple bottles of wine and exclusive club member photos, blogs, videos, gossips and more you don’t see anywhere else. Additional celebrities will be joining Winesbywives with their personally selected wines with a portion of the wine proceeds being donated to their chosen charities.

Vicki Gunvalson teamed with her co-star and friend Tamra Barney to create WinesbyWives. About two years ago they started talking about going into business together. “Finally we came up with the idea of wines, the wine club, it just made sense” Gunvalson told me when I interviewed her on the red carpet.

“I like my wine very cold” admitted Kate Linder, celebrating her 30 years on TV soap opera “Young and the Restless”. Linder thinks the concept is a great idea and is looking forward to being able to participate. She already has chosen her charity of which she’s a spokesperson, ALS Association.

The favorite wine of Challen Cates’, from tv series “Big Time Rush”? “My family has a winery, so conveniently that is my favorite…Tantara Winery, it’s in the central coast of California, we specialize in single vineyard Pinot Noir.”

Throughout the evening, you could see familiar reality star faces such as Ashley Hebert and Erica Rose from “The Bachelor”, Dana Wilkey of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills”, Jeff Lewis “Flipping Out”, Lisa Gastineau “The Gastineau Girls”, Ann Merin “Wedding Day Makeover”, Constance Hall “Monster Man” with Taylor Treadwell from John Hughes “Hughes the Force” with Kevin Smith and Mexican telenovela star “Fernando Noriega”.

Lounging next to a open pit fireplace, sipping wines, you could buy a wine glass decorated with rhinestones in the familiar breast cancer symbol and hand engraved onsite by Signature. Sweet E’s provided bite sized cupcakes. In an adjoining lounge space, music tunes were spinned by DJ Brynn Taylor. Guests left with a gift bag with included sponsors: Christine Reed Lash Salon & Spa, The Green Garmento, OPI Nail Lacquer, Smart Water and Strange Invisible Perfumes.

With Winesbywives if you can’t live like a real housewife of Orange County, at least you can enjoy wine like one.



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Hawaii’s Newest Law to Protect Ocean May Affect Tourists

May 14, 2012 – 1:45 am

Oahu, the final Hawaii holdout, has banned plastic shopping bags used by retailers. The entire state will be plastic shopping bag free as of July, 2015. On May 10th, Mayor Peter Carlisle signed the bill that completed the ban for the state.

Setting the Oahu deadline three years away gives stores time to look into viable options to provide shopping bags for tourists, who may not know about the ban. Banning the use of plastic shopping bags is not a new practice as several European, Asian, and African countries already have laws banning plastic bags.

Great Pacific Garbage Patch

Parts of California have plastic bag bans in place. Hawaii now closes out the other side of the Pacific Ocean border of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with its ban. This enormous rotating, floating rubbish-made island is twice the size of Texas. Unfortunately, it has found a fairly permanent home between Hawaii and California.

Hawaii is hoping the new ban, along with the bans California has, will have a positive effect on the garbage patch. The new law can’t go into effect soon enough. A recent study has shown that the garbage patch is 100 times bigger than it was 40 years ago. The larger the garbage patch grows, the more marine life it will affect.

Affected Marine Life

Unfortunately, Hawaii’s marine life has already been affected by the garbage. The situation is especially concerning to Hawaii, which has the highest concentration of endangered species in the world.

While dolphins, whales, and other marine life have been found dead with plastics in them, the most affected animals have been sea turtles and birds. The endangered Hawaii marine life that may already be affected includes humpback whales, Hawaiian monk seals, and five different species of sea turtles.

What You Can Do To Help

Unfortunately, there is no quick, easy, practical way to recover all of the man-made garbage that is presently in our oceans. As scientists work on ways to reverse this situation, we must do our part to do all that we can to ensure that the problem doesn’t get any worse. Hawaii’s newest law is a step in the right direction.

If you want to do your part to help, use the following tips to help prevent the garbage patch from getting any larger:

  • Minimize the garbage you put into the landfill by recycling everything possible.
  • Volunteer for a community cleanup project and pick up trash wherever you see it and put it into a garbage can.
  • Don’t buy items that use excessive packaging. When possible, buy in bulk so there is less packaging to throw away.
  • Don’t use disposables. Bring your own utensils when you eat out, drink out of a reusable water bottle, and use reusable shopping bags.
  • Tell your family and friends to join you in making these tips part of your everyday life.

Together we can make a difference, even if it’s just one small piece of garbage at a time.


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10 Fun and Affordable Places to Go to in Northern California

May 12, 2012 – 3:08 pm
As parents, we are constantly looking for fun things to do with our family during summertime. Unfortunately, most fun things involve big expenditures on our part. But, ever since the economic crisis spread globally, every family has found some creative ways to spend their summer affordably.

Where we live, we are fortunate enough to have a little bit of everything within, or near our surrounding areas, we are talking about serious fun in the sun, water, wind and snow. Here are some of the fun things we have discovered along the way as we search for creative ways to spend our family’s summer vacation without breaking the bank (completely)!

1. San Francisco Museum of the Modern Art: We took our children here and we were not disappointed. There were plenty of fun, interactive things to do. You can pack your own lunch, too. Aside from the admission fee, everything else is free. If you don’t want to pay for an admission fee either, you can get in for free on certain days of the month. Simply go to their website to find out more about it.

2. Golden Gate Park: This park has a lot to offer aside from the world famous Golden Gate Bridge. If you are into nature walks, trail hikes and bikes or pedal boating, then Golden Gate Park is the place to go. Admission to the park is free; for minimal fee, there are some attractions you can go to that your family would surely enjoy.

3. California Academy of Sciences: This beautiful museum is inside the Golden Gate Park and the one you surely don’t want to miss if you are in San Francisco. It is fun, educational, interactive and entertaining to the young and old alike. Like the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, there are certain days in every month where you can get in for free, simply go to their website to find out more.

4. Santa Cruz Beaches: Famous for its Boardwalk, Santa Cruz has plenty of things to offer for everybody. Admission to the Boardwalk, making sand castles, playing in the sand, people watching and hanging out at the beach are all free. The only things you will have to pay for are boardwalk rides, food and souvenirs.

5. Attending local festivals in your area. Summer is the best time to attend local festivities for free or minimal fee. Not only are you saving your family some serious money, you are also creating a sense of unity between you and your community.

6. Kite flying at your local park: This is an all-time favorite if you have little kids in the family. All you need is a trip to your local store and grab some kites, pack some snack and head out to your favorite local park and start flying your kite, given it is a perfect day to fly one.

7. Visiting a nearby State Park: Going to state parks are one of my favorite things to do with my family, not only are you spending quality time with the people you love; you are also learning a little bit of history in the process. Where we live, we have tried Yosemite State Park and Tomales Bay State Park, and both of these state parks are unbelievable; from magnificent waterfalls and pristine beaches and coves; and if you happen to be in Northern California, I would recommend for you to go visit one or both of these places.

8. Volunteering in your town. This is my own version of “Volunteer Vacation,” where you travel abroad or outside your city to make a difference while vacationing at the same time. Well, you don’t have to travel far or spend thousands of dollars to do just that, if you look around, your town can use you and your family’s help. Simply check with your local non-profit organizations and find out if they have any volunteering opportunities that you can sign up with.

9. Going to a local theme park. If you can’t afford a Disneyland trip, who says you can’t have fun at all? Where we live, two of our favorite theme parks to go are Discovery Kingdom and Gilroy Gardens. They have fun rides, interactive activities, shows, food, games and plenty of entertainment to offer.

10. Zoo trips. A trip to a zoo is not only fun, you are also helping non-profit organizations in saving these wonderful animals. Our local favorites are Sacramento Zoo and San Francisco Zoo. Check them out if you happen to be in Northern California.


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The Stamp Out Hunger Drive: Helping to End Hunger in America

May 10, 2012 – 3:17 pm

This Saturday provides an opportunity to end hunger in America, and it all starts at your mailbox. The National Association of Letter Carriers and the Campbell Soup Company are sponsoring the Stamp Out Hunger Drive. This Saturday, May 12th, citizens are asked to put out canned goods (non-perishable items) by their mailbox. The food will be collected by their mail carrier and then distributed to foodbanks.

The charity Feeding America says the Stamp Out Hunger Drive is the largest single food drive in the country. The event provides a significant boost to Feeding America’s network of emergency foodbanks across the country.

Sarah Cook of the Cincinnati Freestore Foodbank says that last year Stamp Out Hunger donations produced enough food for 80,000 meals provided to the area’s hungry. Denise Gibson of the Ozarks Food Harvest said 131,000 pounds of food were donated by citizens of Southwest Missouri via Stamp Out Hunger.

Terry Shannon, the President of the St. Mary’s Food Bank Alliance in Arizona says Stamp Out Hunger raises “Between 350,000 and 400,000 pounds (of food). It is the largest one day food drive for the food bank.” St. Mary’s provides aid throughout Arizona including supporting summer feeding for children in Maricopa County. The agency also assists Apache County, which has a 28% food insecurity rate, one of the highest in the country.

Dan Getman of the Food Bank of South Jersey said the event last year produced 119,550 pounds for their agency to distribute. Getman adds that Campbell’s Soup is sending out collection bags to homes in South Jersey to encourage donations.

Foodbanks all across the country need help as there are nearly 49 million people suffering from hunger.

The collection of canned goods can provide some quick relief especially at a time of the year when donations are generally down as compared to the holidays.

There is one extra thing Americans can do via the Stamp Out Hunger Drive. You could send a letter or an e-mail this Saturday to your representative in Congress asking them to fight hunger. You can remind them of the need to support the nation’s foodbanks as you will be doing on Stamp Out Hunger Day.

Nora Balduff of the Second Harvest Foodbanks of Ohio says Stamp Out Hunger “comes at a lean time of year for emergency food relief, after the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays.” The Mid-Ohio Foodbank, West Ohio Foodbank, Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, The Foodbank, Inc. (Dayton), and The Shared Harvest Foodbank (Fairfield) all benefit from Stamp Out Hunger.

Balduff adds that the event “also comes at a time when one of our federal partners in hunger relief, the U.S. House of Representatives, could vote on May 10th to cut SNAP/food stamp benefits by an average of $ 57.00 for a family of four by September 2012 (H.R. 4666)…Caring Ohioans do their part to end hunger, we need our federal partners to do the same.”

You can also ask your representative to take steps to improve the nation’s school feeding program, particularly during the summer months when many hungry children are not able to access school meals.

Ask your representative to pledge to fight hunger in America and also abroad where children are starving in Africa, Afghanistan, Yemen and other areas. Your elected officials can follow a tradition of Truman, Eisenhower and other leaders who supported ending hunger.

So this Saturday’s Stamp Out Hunger Drive can be a great success. By donating canned goods you can provide quick relief to our nation’s foodbanks as they struggle to keep up with the growing hunger crisis in America. Via a simple letter you can ask your elected officials in Congress to represent you and your desire to end hunger in America and all over the globe.

For more information visit Stamp Out Hunger.

Article first published as The Stamp Out Hunger Drive: Helping to End Hunger in America on Blogcritics.


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Eight Great Reasons to Study Abroad While in School

May 8, 2012 – 9:54 pm

Impressing prospective employers, learning another language and making friends across the globe are just a few good reasons to consider studying abroad while attending school. In fact, these perks are only the beginning of the benefits an international experience can provide to students in college, and even high school.
Learning does not occur in a vacuum; sometimes a classroom feels like one. Anyone who has ever sat through a 90-minute lecture knows that taking notes to the lull of a professor’s droning voice can leave you wondering why you bothered to show up to class at all.
Educators know that learning is a social activity; this is why so many classes require cooperative learning or discussion. Educational philosopher John Dewey believed that we learn by doing. His theory of experiential education is often a critical component of teacher preparation programs, and encourages students to experience what they are learning, instead of merely hearing or reading about it.
Imagine learning about the Sistine Chapel, and then staring up at it moments later. Imagine conjugating verbs in Spanish, and then ordering your meal in the native tongue in Barcelona. Imagine studying about hunter-gatherer cultures, and then visiting one in Tanzania. All of these are possible with a little research, an adventurous spirit and openness to trying new things.
If you still aren’t sold, here are a few more reasons to consider study abroad during your school years.
1. It looks great on a resume. In today’s job market, applicants need to stand apart from the crowd. Letting prospective employers know that you’ve spent time living in another country shows that you can adapt to new surroundings, are independent, and aren’t afraid to step out of your comfort zone. If you know another language, this is a bonus because it’s a skill most people do not possess. Living abroad isn’t always easy, and employers like to know that you are willing to take on challenges.
2. You can learn to speak a different language. If you decide to live in a non-English speaking country, you will quickly pick up the language. Things like buying groceries, going to the bank and speaking with the locals forces you to think in the native language, not quickly try to translate in your head. If you want to learn a language other than English, living in the country is the fastest way to do it.
3. You will get better at math. Yes, you read that right. You will spend a lot of time converting the local currency into dollars to see how much money you are spending on food, drink and souvenirs. Of course, you can take the easy route and get a currency converter app, but sometimes you’ll need to do it on the fly – and you’ll be glad you paid attention in math class.
4. Studying abroad can save you money. This statement probably seems like an outright lie, but it’s true. For example, I attended a private university as an undergraduate, but studied abroad through a program at a state school (and I lived in-state). The tuition for the semester was about a third of what I would have paid if I’d stayed in the U.S. In addition, I got a scholarship designed for students studying internationally. Researching scholarship opportunities like this is worth the time – earning one could mean saving thousands of dollars in loans later in life.
5. You will meet people from all over the world. Not only will you meet them, you’ll probably form lasting friendships. If you stay with a family, you will likely stay in contact with your hosts and visit them when you return to the country. There will also likely be students from other countries in your program who you will get to know and want to see again. Living abroad often gives people the travel bug, and when you are in a new place, knowing someone always helps.
6. You will learn and experience things you can’t at your home school. This is especially true if you choose a destination that fits with your interests and course of study. As I alluded to above, learning about the architecture of the Roman forum will mean something more if you are standing in the middle of it. Choose a program that offers excursions or off-campus lectures for a truly authentic experience.
7. Finding the time and money to travel will become more difficult as you get older. Once you enter the workforce you’ll probably have a job with limited vacation and limited pay. Get out and see the world before you graduate, when there are deals for students that don’t apply to adults. And when you have obligations like a mortgage, and a family to support, international travel probably won’t be a viable option.
8. You develop a new appreciation for home. For many people – especially college students – going home during breaks or vacations can be a bummer. You have to leave your friends and your independence behind, and follow your parents’ rules. Being away from family and friends for a semester or summer is difficult, and you may be homesick. But when you return, you’ll appreciate your loved ones, and even your hometown, in a totally different way.
Of course, there are many reasons not mentioned here to consider study abroad. This list highlights a few of the many benefits. Consider checking with your school’s study abroad office for more information, or your guidance counselor if you are a high school student. Happy traveling!


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How the Financial Crisis Should Have Been Prevented – and by Who

May 7, 2012 – 4:49 am
There are two real organizations responsible for the financial crisis and resulting economic downturn, and who should have taken action which would have intercepted and prevented it.

First – Regulators, who allowed the new Structured Securities Markets to develop in an unregulated environment. The Federal Reserve has to be the regulator of last resort, to be alert and aware of budding markets and new instruments like the Structured Securities Markets, in order to declare that a new market has become large enough to create a systemic risk, and thus needs to be monitored and/or regulated. In this case, existing market regulators (CFTC, Treasury Dept., NYSE) did not step up and declare responsibility, or create a monitoring and regulatory structure. The Federal Reserve, as regulator of last resort, should have stepped in and appointed one, or declared the need for one and monitored the Structured Securities Market until Congress acted to designate a regulator.

Second, the Rating Agencies, who should have seen and adjusted bond ratings due to the continuing concentration of security guarantee risk in one company – AIG. With AIG being almost the only acceptable guarantor of such Structured Securities in order to achieve a AAA rating, Rating Agencies should have at some point said they could no longer allow securities to be rated AAA with only an AIG guarantee, due to the aggregate level of exposure in the AIG portfolio. It still amazes me that no one has thought to sue the rating agencies and their liability insurers, for continuing to rate Structured Securities AAA with only AIG as Master Servicer (final guarantor layer in the process). At some point, even a casual glance by any Rating Agency personnel, at the total issuance volume of Structured Securities in a given year which used AIG as a guarantor, would have produced a strikingly high risk picture, and it would have been obvious that there was no way AIG could realistically have provided any real guarantee to the security holders in the event of a major market default.

Further, it should be noted who is not to blame – specifically FNMA and Freddie Mac (collectively Mortgage Agencies), who were extremely good at their primary role for over 70 years – to ensure a thriving, efficient market for mortgages, thus creating the best possible prices for borrowers. Mortgage Agencies originally were only allowed to pass along trades to Wall Street. But as their Trading Desks improved, the Mortgage Agencies realized they could benefit themselves and mortgagors, by becoming direct issuers of mortgage Structured Securities, thus providing competition to Wall Street Issuers, and reducing the aggregate number of bid/offer spreads which a traditional mortgage security would incur on it’s way to ending up in a Structured Security. Prior to that, the Mortgage Agencies acted in their traditional role of guarantor of the underlying mortgage backed security (MBS), while these MBS were aggregated and turned into Structured Securities mainly by Wall Street and a limited number of private issuers.

It was the downfall of the Structured Securities Market which created the worldwide financial crises that led to the economic recession. The recession caused a 235% rise in mortgage payment delinquency rates (delinquency rates were 4.66% in Dec. 2005, and peaked at 10.97% in Jan. 2010 per Lender Processing Services historical data).
As the recession worsened, property values dropped precipitously, causing further losses to mortgage servicers and the Mortgage Agencies, who were trying to sell off foreclosed properties. Traditionally, the Mortgage Agencies provided guarantees to their security holders that the mortgage servicers would remit payments, while the mortgage servicers would guarantee to the Mortgage Agencies that they would advance any payments that mortgagors didn’t make on time. At these extremely high mortgage payment delinquency and default rates, mortgage servicers began to default, thus putting stresses on the Mortgage Agencies, who had guaranteed payments to bondholders in the event of mortgage servicer default. The Mortgage Agencies then had to take over servicing, or pay another mortgage servicer to take over, defaulted mortgage servicing pools, and in many cases had to keep much of the risk of subsequent defaults and delinquencies formerly assumed by the original mortgage servicer, in order to get the new servicer to take over.

The fact that the Mortgage Agencies did not have enough loan loss reserves to cover this huge spike in delinquencies and mortgage servicing defaults, was mainly accounting and regulatory. If they had wanted to, or tried in advance, to build reserves that were high enough to cover the actual mortgage losses experienced during this period, they would have been chastised or worse by Congress, auditors, investors, and likely even the IRS, for overstating reserves and thus understating income. NO ONE would have thought it prudent for the Mortgage Agencies to build their reserves to a level which would have allowed them to handle the collapse of the mortgage markets and market prices that were actually experienced during this period. Of course, there was a double whammy to them because these balance sheet stresses were further magnified by their direct participation as Structured Security Issuers, where they further guaranteed payments to the Structured Security owners.

Except for these two factors, the Mortgage Agencies did a superb job, and were one of the most successful regulatory creations in US history. They should be recapitalized and only minimally restructured, and allowed to remain in their historic role – as Mortgage Market facilitators extraordinaire.


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My Small Internet Business Budget … Baby Steps All the Way

May 3, 2012 – 6:10 pm

After a year of starting my online healthcare recruiting company, I am personally making very little money. Most of the proceeds go back into my business, covering the current expenses and also, a small cushion for unexpected expenses.

Oh! Those unexpected expenses! Be very afraid of them. They can make or break a business.

Warning! Everybody wants some of your company’s money.

Marketers of all types bombard business owners, and the temptation to buy can be over-powering.

Don’t talk to them on the phone unless you have the money in your budget to buy from them. Some of them truly have a great product or service, and you will want to buy from them when your budget increases.

But their goal, however, is for you to bend “a little” on your budget right now. But if you do, your budget could be doing flips in no time, and your business will fail!

Because life has taught me frugality, I ask them to email me instead with their information. I don’t feel pressured by an email.

If it’s something that should be considered when my budget is ready to grow to meet the next goal, it is filed under “Possible Future Expenditures”. If not, it’s deleted.

The Value of Time

My business budget not only takes expenses and incoming revenue into consideration, but also time. Time can be a very large expenditure, if it’s wasted. And if it’s well-spent, the rising revenues can increase my budget significantly.

Working from home on the computer, one can easily become distracted by emails, Facebook, Twitter… even the news. If I let myself get distracted, I remind myself that I am losing money by doing so.

This is why I budget my time by scheduling email replies and returning phone messages along with scheduling other blocks of time to do the things that get new business and those that tie up the loose ends to get paid.

Baby Steps

My company began with a very small budget so I had to consider each and every expense very seriously. To qualify, an expense had to provide the necessary basic tools needed with which to conduct my business.

As my business grows, the budget grows, but in baby steps the whole way. It’s so easy to jump too high and fall.

I re-evaluate my business budget every 3 months. I have a priority bucket-list of goods and services that I know will enhance my business. If business is consistently good, then I will add an item from that bucket list to be placed as an expense in my business budget.

If, on the other hand, business is inconsistent or shaky, I will decrease my budget accordingly. So far, that has not happened.

Personal sacrifices that I must make to stick to my business budget

Because my business is very new and started with a very minimal nest egg, my personal income has suffered greatly. When I budget for my income from the business, I only budget the minimum amount necessary to pay all of my bills and other monthly expenses (which are also budgeted very frugally).
Extras can come later.

I never hire anyone to do anything for my business that I can possibly learn how to do myself. I have saved thousands of budget dollars this way. By doing this, however, I have had little personal time in which to enjoy life. I am willing to do this in order to reap the rewards that these sacrifices will help me attain.

I believe that success in business is heavily tied to creating and sticking to a budget. I know that if I adhere to my tight budget now, I will be able to spend much more freely in the future. My company will be standing on a firm foundation from which to build and grow. Yours can too. Happy budgeting!


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Interview With Mr. Persuasion – A Short Story

May 2, 2012 – 2:25 am

Mr. Persuasion: Good morning people, I am so glad to be here! I have been asked to give you a little history on myself and answer a few questions so I am at your disposal. I do not mind, as I always like to talk about myself. Seriously, as you know my name is Mr. Persuasion. I have been around like FOREVER! Yes! I have met the Queen and King, and many presidents throughout history. I want to make it perfectly clear, I do not just associate with the ones in high places. I have been known to do some pro bono for the little people. They are always ready and willing to hop on the train if you know what I mean. (Wink… Wink…)

I am ready for the first question. There, you… in the front row, the young woman with the nice blue dress. Hey, everyone look at her blue dress! Let’s give her a hand. Take a bow sweetie! OK… OK… we are in agreement. This is one hot gal… Calm down! What is your question there pretty lady?

Lady in Blue Dress: Mr. Persuasion!

Mr. Persuasion: Honey, please just call me, Sed!

Lady in Blue Dress: Oh! OK Sed! Where did you get that name Per… I mean Sed?

Mr. Persuasion: Sed is short for Seduction of course. This is one of my many talents. Let me tell you, I have been around the block a few times and I seduce like no other. You may remember some of my work. Does Victoria Secret and McDonald’s commercials ring some bells? Little lady, I will have you eating a Big Mac while sporting the lingerie in no time.

Lady in Blue Dress: Sed, how do you get people to follow you? I just cannot see how watching a quick commercial will do it.

Mr. Persuasion: It is not that hard really. First, I have to show some passion. I love to seduce people. I put on some charm, make them laugh, make them feel good about themselves, and BAM it is done! I have them in my strong, capable, hands in no time. Power of suggestion is one of my strongest tools!.

Did you really think I liked your blue dress? Honey you were sadly mistaken.. Look people, let’s be honest! Did you really like her blue dress? It is rather drab and kind of out of date.

Grumbling People: It is rather drab..poor thing..the color does not look good on her at all..

Mr. Persuasion: Sorry honey…just doing my job!

OK next question. You guy with the striped tie and pimple on his nose. Man… that is one big bump bro! Hey, people look at this molehill on this guy’s nose.

Grumbling People: Do you see that? That is one big bump! Yea, it looks awful. It is disgusting to say the least.

Mr. Persuasion: OK people save it for later! So dude what is your question?

Guy with a pimple: Do you think that the way we are taught as children influence our thoughts and ideas, thus keeping us from changing?

Mr. Persuasion: Hey, I am working on that one. Some people are like stone walls and will not be moved. Some are coming around. It just depends on the issues at the time. Until it affects them directly, they are usually not moving. Let me give you a couple examples. There are presidential campaigns, health alerts, and economic strategies working the people all the time. My job is to get people to think a certain way. It just depends on who has the power.

Now some that have less power can come together for change but my price is a little higher if you know what I mean. I will use the same tactics most of the time. I have been known to switch it up a bit. I throw in a little confusion, some bad PR, a few negative comments, and it unfolds before my eyes. This is a picture of a perfect disgruntled society. This throws everyone in a state of confusion. Then I just run in with my ideas. They are most vulnerable in the midst of confusion. Have you seen all the ads and commercials? I have had a hand in every one! I have more strategies up my sleeves than you can imagine. Lady in the wheelchair, go ahead, what is your question?

Lady In the wheel Chair: I know you have done a lot of work for the good of disabilities reform, equal rights, and many other needed social reform issues. Without you Mr. Persuasion, I think our world would still be the same. I just wanted to say thank you. No question at this time.

Mr. Persuasion: Wow! I am choking up here. It was my pleasure. Sometimes I can do well. It just depends on whom I am working with at the time and who is willing to step out of their comfort zones. My job is not that easy, as you know. It took me forever on one project you may remember. SLAVERY! Then Mr. King and I spent many a nights working on his speech. Thank you for some good reminders though. It is not all bad. You are welcome!

Mr. Persuasion: I have time for one last question so make it good. I have some propaganda to get working on. Hey, you know it cannot be all good. I play both sides of the fence. That is my job. My motto is this, “All for the love of moving forward, good or bad.” Hey, you in the back holding up the wall. Yes you the guy in the back.

The Guy in the Back: I have several problems with you and I have been waiting a long time to get this off my chest. Why are you putting thoughts in people’s head and pitting all of us against each other? Yes, you have done some good things, but times are rough, we need to start supporting each other.

Mr. Persuasion: If you are referring to the recent events where I may have set a couple of things in motion such as the news media thing, fueling some fires, and recent rallies, well, I may have had a little hand in that. You see guy in the back, that is what I do!

The Guy in the Back: I just want to know one thing. When are you are going to stop spouting negative stuff? Let’s start talking about getting along, supporting positive change, and planting some good thoughts in the minds of the people. It is time to lift people’s spirits up! Only you Mr. Persuasion, have the power to do this!

Mr. Persuasion: I can work on this. Give me your name and we can do lunch. Nice hair cut by the way. I loved your speech. Hey make an appointment with my people and we will sit down and discuss this at length. New presidential race coming up..lots to do..people to see!.


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Great Advice for a Long and Happy Marriage

April 30, 2012 – 7:40 am

If you are looking to get married or have just gotten married, you likely have been inundated with tons of advice about having a long and happy marriage. Though many of these tidbits of advice are based on personal thoughts and ideals, some of them can be quite beneficial for couples who are getting married, have just gotten married or who are going through a bumpy path in their marriage. Though you may recognize some of the tips below, it is important to remember that these are only tips and if you are having problems that are more severe, the best advice is to seek professional assistance.

One of the most common pieces of advice that you may receive when looking for advice for a long and happy marriage is to never go to bed angry. Though you may shrug this off or consider it to be common sense, there really is something to it and you should always keep it in the back of your mind. Married couples are going to fight and argue. In fact, many psychologists and marriage experts say that normal levels of arguing are actually healthy for a marriage. Going to bed angry without coming to some type of conclusion after an argument cannot only cause psychological issues, it can also cause physical issues, one being lack of sleep. Many of us cannot sleep when angry or upset so going to bed angry can really turn into a dangerous cycle.

Another piece of advice that you may hear for a long and happy marriage is to listen. As simple as this sounds, it can be difficult for many of us in any type of long term relationship. There is a definite difference between hearing and listening. Learning how to be an active listener can help to fill the need that all of us have to be listened to and you will probably find that you are getting to know your partner on a deeper level, something that is important in any relationship.

For couples who may be in a marriage or domestic partnership that has fallen into a rut, one of the best pieces of advice you will hear is to start dating again. It is very important for the two of you to spend time together as a couple, even for as little as an hour or two once a week. If you have children or other responsibilities, like children, it is understandable that this could be difficult, but this is a very important piece of advice and you should take care to make it happen.

As you can see, there are some things that you can do to have a long and happy marriage. Taking these steps can help you and your partner to not only connect with each other on a new level, but you will be able to work through any problems you may be experiencing. When you are able to effectively communicate, you will be able to have a long and happy marriage.


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