The Eternal Individual

If you want to make good money with banks, or any institution, Government and agency bonds are where it is at. Simply because all Government bonds and agencies are AAA rated, and banks can buy millions of dollars of any bond without incurring any credit risk.

All banks own bonds of some sort, and they are buying them from brokers. Our primary bonds are:

• U.S. Treasury obligations (T-bills, T-notes, T-bonds)
• Government Agency Debt (GNMA)
• Private Agency Debt (FNMA, FHLMC, FHLB and others)
• Mortgage Backed Securities (Pass throughs , CMO’s, ARM’s)
• Municipal Bonds
• Investment Grade Corporate Bonds

The institutions that have strict policy guidelines on the bonds that they can buy are Banks, Credit Unions and Municipalities.

The spreads on Treasuries make them difficult to sell or “mark up” more than a few “ticks” to most sophisticated banks and institutions. A tick is 1 point in price. Government bonds are quoted in 32nds.

An example of a treasury bond would be: Bid 101-16 Ask: 101-24. If your client wanted to buy $10,000 of this treasury bond, you would see the price to you at 101-24 (24/32). 24/32 = .75. So the price is really 101.75 or $10,175. Each point represents $10 for every $1000 par bond. For $10,000, each point is worth $100. All bonds trade at a minimum of 1000. Institutions normally buy $250,000 up to tens of millions per trade. So, our example of a $10,000 trade really isn’t realistic and would not be worth your time. A “tick” by the way, is if the price went up to 101-25.

Trading for a few “ticks” on $100,000 would make you very little. If you factor in ticket charges, you might make $100 on the trade. You only present treasuries if it’s non competitive, or if the client is investing at least $1,000,000, otherwise it won’t make you much. If your client deals with 3 other brokers on treasuries, you will all be fighting for very little money. It’s very easy to get a quick quote on treasuries. Every major dealer owns them, and they can be purchased quickly. You or your trader will contact a major brokerage firm (Merrill Lynch, UBS etc.) and buy them. Not much money yes, still, it is assets you are controlling, and it could be used as available money to swap out of into a better investment for the client.

Treasuries are very safe of course, that’s why they are bought. Only buying treasuries will diminish the rate of return of the entire portfolio, if that is their only or main investment vehicle. Treasuries offer flexibility though. The market values on them will normally hold up well over time. They are very liquid and can be traded instantly. You should sell them only as “time bucket” or maturity gap placing.

If you see the bank has nothing maturing in the first half of a year for instance, you can recommend treasuries there too. Remember, institutions are looking for best price, but also good advice. The medium sized banks ($50 million - $500 million assets) will value good planning and thoughtful recommendations over dealing with 10 brokers all day. The larger institutions are more complicated, and require more price awareness. They think they have the ideas covered and you may have to just be an order taker with them.

How To Sell Mortgage Backed Securities or CMO’s

Mortgage backed securities offer the best alternative to decreased loan demand. Pass throughs, CMO’s and adjustable rate MBS’s are paid to the bank just like a loan that the banks has made for a mortgage. If a person takes out a $250,000 mortgage, the customer is paying back the bank monthly with principle and interest. As you know, if you own a home, your initial payments are mostly INTEREST in the early years. A mortgage backed security, if it is a new issue will operate the same way.

Length of the outstanding mortgages, or current face of the mortgages are a factor. “Seasoned pools”, as they are called, are mortgage pools that have had several years of payment on them. They have more predictable payments and duration. They will normally pay better because of that. Seasoned pools are usually what banks are looking for. They are generally interested in better cash flow and predictable cash flow.

The compensation or mark up potential is good in mortgage backed bonds. They are priced above treasuries because, although they are AAA rated, they are not absolute in their pay off and the payments fluctuate. Since they are usually 15-30 years in duration, they allow for price mark up. Where treasuries and straight agency debt allow for a few ticks to a .25, MBS’s can create spreads between buying and selling them up to a or of point. This can translate to a $5,000 commission on a $1 million sale. Remember, a million dollars in one bond is not unusual for most institutions, and for banks over $500 million in assets, it’s normal.

Other Types Of Institutions To Sell Bonds to:

There are other institutions that buy bonds of course. However, other institutions for the most part can buy other competitive investments, and deal with other brokers in those areas. Also, many of these others hand over portions of their major assets to professional money managers. Banks, CU’s and municipalities only buy fixed income, so their entire portfolio is available to you. They also will very rarely turn their entire portfolio over to a 3rd party. That is not the case with some of these others. They would include:

Insurance Companies
Foundations
Universities
Hospitals
Pension Funds
Cemeteries (Yes, even them)

Ultimately, these accounts can buy almost any type of bond. Corporate bonds can be offered as well. Still, your opportunities are spotty in with these accounts. Information or lists of these types of accounts can be obtained through directories or other sources.

Focus on the Financial and public institutions. They will be a much higher percentage play for you to sell bonds.

Good Luck!

Nick Hunter is the President of American Investment Training and he writes for brokerjobs.com - a finance education and career job site for brokers.

Citrus oils are perhaps one of the more popular essential oils for perfumery. They provide a fresh, invigorating and stimulating aroma that is indispensable in fragrances. Otherwise known as agrumen oils, they are obtained from various sources of the citrus fruit family that includes bergamot, lime, lemon, grapefruit and bitter orange. Among these, the commonly used ones are bergamot and lemon.

Bergamot

The inedible bergamot fruit is cultivated in Southern Italy, Spain and South Africa. The tree grows to 2 to 5 feet tall with erect, leafy, tubular stalks topped by a flower cluster. The scent of bergamot is clear, mildly sweet and fruity and rejuvenating to the mind.

The bergamot oil was first sold in the Italian city of Bergamo in Lombardy, hence its namesake. It was traditionally used as a folk medicine by the Italians.

Bergamot oil is an aromatic remedy for indigestion, colic and flatulence because of its antispasmodic and digestive properties.

Its uplifting effects can help alleviate anxiety and depression.

Lemon

The lemon oil has a similar fresh note, with the same invigorating and tingling effect. Hygiene comes to mind when one thinks of the lemon. Its scent lends the clean” effect to cleaning agents and deodorants. In Italy, where it is abundant, the lemon is widely used as a food flavouring.

The lemon tree grows up to 11 feet high with irregular branches. The leaves are ovate and oval. The perfumed flowers are pink and white, and the fruit is bright yellow.

The Egyptians once used lemon oil to treat meat poisoning. The fruit was used by sailors to prevent scurvy while at sea for months. The lemon oil improves digestion and regulates the acid level within the stomach.

It can also promote the production of blood cells to treat anemic problems and boost the immune system. Its febrifuge qualities can help alleviate fever by lowering the body temperature.

Emotionally, the lemon oil can be refreshing and cooling to the mind. Invigorating Citrus Citrus oils are the refreshing and uplifting alternatives to the other essential oils when one needs a zesty kick-start to a new day.

One could be forgiven for thinking that Cyndi Lauper has slowly faded into obscurity since her supernova like explosion onto the popcharts with her 1983 debut album She’s So Unusual.

But the girl that just wants to have fun has merely grown up and matured into one of the most endearing voices in pop music today.

On her new album, The Body Acoustic, Lauper’s put together a collection of her hits and favorites, stripped down and reworked to really expose the beauty of her poignant lyrics.

It’s been over 20 years since Cythia Ann Stephanie Lauper, or Cyndi as we affectionately know her, won a Grammy Award for Best New Artist and released a string of top ten hits including She Bop, True Colours, All Through The Night, Money Changes Everything and Time After Time which has since been covered by over 70 artists including Willy Nelson and Miles Davis.

At age 50 she recorded an album of standards, At Last, which received critical aclaim, and launched the seed for The Body Acoustic.

All the hits are here along with three new songs. Guest musicians and singers join Cyndi who plays the dulcimer as the pared down tracks take on a whole new life.

True colours lit only by strings is almost hauntingly sad, while Sarah McLachlan adds her angelic vocals to Time After Time. All Through The Night features Shaggy’s unique vocal stylings, and Japanese duo Puffy AmiYumi join in on the fun of Girls Just Want to Have Fun.

Lauper co-produced the album with Rick Chertoff, who produced her hit debut She’s So Unusual, and William Wittman, who produced At Last.

Yeah, girls just wanna have fun, but then so do grown women.

Peter Shuttlewood is the author of webzine freshread which contains articles on Popular Culture with an Australian slant. freshread - the everyday in a fresh way.

While it is clear that writers and self-publishers will never be
able to attract the same rates online that they did from offline
publications and media, it does not mean that online writers
doomed to starvation. If anything a number of them are already
proving that many online writers and self-publishers will end up
making a lot more cash than their offline counterparts ever did.

Actually already we are starting to see online writer’s incomes
grow steadily. However what has confused a lot of folks is the
fact that the rules online are very different. It is useful to
examine a few of these differences because it will help us
understand the online rules better and how to make money as an
online writer with less effort.

Why Online Rules For Writers And Self-Publishing Are
Different

The offline media has always been fat from the high advertising
rates attracted and in some cases from a high circulation on a
healthy cover price. The result was that freelance writers could
live off a few articles a month. This is in sharp contrast to
webmasters looking to pay single-digit figures for 500-word
articles.

What all this means is that there are only two ways a writer can
make money. Either by selling the same content to hundreds of
sites or by finding a way to earn a continuous stream of cash
from a single article. The first option doesn’t fly on the net
because the World Wide Web is not a local fragmented medium.
Rather the feeling is that when an article is published at one
site, the whole world has seen it because the whole world has
access to it. While this may not be entirely true, it is the
general feeling and it greatly limits the number of different
web sites you can sell a single article to.

In this article we examine closely what writers and
self-publishers online are doing to maximize on their earnings
from a single article.

Self-Publishing For AdSense

So far this has proved to be the most lucrative source of
revenue for self-publishing and writing online. AdSense are
pay-per-click ads from Google that are posted on web sites and
blogs all over the net. When people click on them Google shares
their income with the owners of the blogs or web sites.

So a writer writes a single article and posts it at a blog
somewhere where it attract relevant Google AdSense ads and they
will continue aerning money from that single article for years
to come. Even if an article earns $ 2 a day on average, it will
end up earning the writer $730 a year. Not bad when it has the
potential of doing the same for the next couple of years.

The trick with Adsense is to use the right keywords that will
attract ads that will pay a lot more when people click on them.
It is said that there are some keywords that will attract ads
that will pay out as much as $100 per click. My special report
provides tools that will help a writer find the highest paying
Adsense keywords.

Self-Publishing At A Site That Sells Content For You

The great challenge for any writer is that they have to be good
at two very different tasks. At writing and also at selling and
marketing their writing. Not any more, web sites have emerged
that will gladly sell your articles for you, leaving you with
the task of writing them. The particular site I have in mind has
experience selling license rights to the same article to various
web sites, meaning that the writer can earn again and again from
the same single article.

Self-Publishing For Traffic

Self-publishing your article and content at various other sites
is a powerful tool for increasing traffic to your site by
creating links to it and also causing folks to visit your site
for more information.

So the result is that a single article can earn you cash for a
long time by simply directing targeted traffic to your site
where some of the folks will click at your Adsense ads while
others will purchase something, maybe your special report based
on some of your articles.

Self-Publishing At Blogs

An increasing number of organizations are paying people to blog.
Some will pay bloggers for the traffic their articles attract
while others pay writers a commission from the Adsense revenue
that their articles generate. There are a host of different
programs a writer or self-publisher can use to generate income
from a single article for years to come.

Self-Publishing A Special Report

It is very easy to convert your article into a special report,
which you can then sell at your site. Even if you charge
pocket-change for your special report, over time you could earn
thousands of dollars from it.

Conclusion

Now imagine the potential if you were to ensure that every
single article you wrote was slightly adjusted so that it was
able to earn you a steady income stream from all the 5 revenue
generating ideas we have talked about in this article. That’s
how a self-publishing online writer can make over $ 100,000 a
year.

What is a tubal pregnancy?

An ectopic pregnancy, commonly known as a tubal pregnancy, is a
pregnancy in which the fertilized egg implants itself somewhere
other than the uterus. It is referred to as a tubal pregnancy
because 95% of ectopic pregnancies occur when the fertilized egg
is unable to travel all the way through the fallopian tube to
the uterus, and therefore implants itself in the tube.

Of all ectopic pregnancies, 1.5% are abdominal, 0.5% are
ovarian, and 0.03% are cervical. None of these places are suited
for a growing baby. As the fetus grows, it can eventually burst
the organ that contains it, causing severe internal bleeding,
and endangering the mother’s life. Unfortunately, a tubal
pregnancy will never develop into a live birth.

Although there have been advances in surgical technology that
have caused the death rate due to tubal pregnancy to drop since
1970, there is still a death rate of about 1 out of 2000, with
about 40-50 women dying each year in the U.S.

What causes tubal pregnancy?

There are many reasons why an egg may become lodged in the
fallopian tube. It is most often caused by an infection or
inflammation of the tube that partially or entirely blocks the
passage. Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) is the most common of
these infections.

Endometriosis, when cells from the lining of the uterus detach
and grow elsewhere in the body, can cause blockages. Scar tissue
from previous pelvic or fallopian surgery can also lead to tubal
pregnancy. Less frequently, abnormal growths or birth defects
can alter the shape of the tube and obstruct the egg’s progress.

How will I know if I am having a tubal pregnancy?

It can be difficult to recognize symptoms of tubal pregnancy
since many of the early signs mirror those of a normal
pregnancy, such as missed periods, breast tenderness, nausea,
vomiting, or frequent urination.

Some of the symptoms more specific to tubal pregnancy are:

* Pain in your lower belly

* Slight bleeding from vagina

* One-sided pain in your stomach

* Shoulder pain (which may be caused by internal bleeding
irritating your diaphragm when you breathe)

* Bladder or bowel problems

* Feeling light-headed or faint, sometimes accompanied by
paleness, increased pulse, diarrhea, and falling blood pressure
(caused by blood loss)

* Abnormal bleeding (heavier or lighter than usual and
prolonged, or dark and watery, almost like prune juice)

* Lower back pain

If you experience any of these symptoms you should go directly
to the emergency room. If you arrive at the hospital complaining
about abdominal pains, you will most likely be given a pregnancy
test. Urine pregnancy tests are not necessarily the best
pregnancy tests, but they are fast. Speed can be crucial in
dealing with a tubal pregnancy.

If the pregnancy test comes back positive then your doctor will
probably perform a quantitative hCG test to measure the amount
of human chorionic gonadotropin in your body. hCG is a hormone
produced by the placenta which shows up in the blood and urine
as early as 10 days after conception. Its levels double every
day for the first 10 weeks of pregnancy. Lower- than-expected
hCG levels could indicate a tubal pregnancy.

You will be given a pelvic exam as well, to find the areas
causing pain, check for an enlarged, pregnant uterus, or locate
any masses in your abdomen. The doctors will probably also
perform an ultrasound examination, which would show if the
uterus

contained a developing fetus or determine whether there are
masses growing elsewhere in the

abdomen. Unfortunately, the ultrasound may not be able to detect
every tubal pregnancy.

There is also a more rarely used test for tubal

pregnancy, called culdocentesis, which is used to check for
internal bleeding. This test is performed by inserting a needle
into the space at the very top of the vagina, behind the uterus
and in front of the rectum. If there is blood or fluid found
there, it most likely comes from a ruptured tubal pregnancy.

What can be done about my tubal pregnancy?

Treatment for a tubal pregnancy will depend on its size and
location, and on whether or not you would like the ability to
conceive again.

If caught early enough, a tubal pregnancy may be able to be
treated with an injection of methotrexate, which would dissolve
the fertilized egg and allow it to be reabsorbed into the body.
This non-surgical approach results in minimal scarring of the
pelvic organs.

A tubal pregnancy that is further along will likely require
surgery to be removed. In the past, this operation would have
required a very large incision across the lower abdomen, which
may still be necessary in cases of emergency or severe internal
injury.

However, modern technology has bestowed upon us an alternative
method of removal. In many cases, the vtubal pregnancy can be
removed using laparoscopy, a much less invasive surgical
procedure. The surgeon makes a small incision in the lower
abdomen and inserts a laparoscope, a long, hollow tube with a
lighted end. This allows the surgeon to see internal organs and
insert other instruments as need. The tubal pregnancy is then
removed, and the damaged organs are repaired or removed.

Regardless of which procedure is used, the doctor will want to
continue seeing you regularly, to monitor your hCG levels, which
should return to zero. This may take up to twelve weeks, but if
the hCG levels do not decline, it could mean that some of the
ectopic tissue was missed and may need to be removed using
methotrexate or additional surgery.

How will this affect my future pregnancies?

About a third of women with a previous tubal pregnancy will have
trouble conceiving again. This depends mainly on the total
amount of damage and surgery that was done.

If the fallopian tubes remain intact, chances for a successful
pregnancy in the future are about 60%. Even with only one
fallopian tube, chances can be greater than 40%.

The risk of a repeat tubal pregnancy is increased with each
subsequent tubal pregnancy. After your first one, you face about
a 15% chance of having another.

Am I at risk of having a tubal pregnancy?

Those most at risk of having a tubal pregnancy are women between
the ages of 35 and 45 who have had a PID, a previous tubal
pregnancy, surgery on a fallopian tube, or infertility problems
or medication to stimulate ovulation.

Some birth control methods may also increase your chances for a
tubal pregnancy. If you become pregnant while using progesterone
intrauterine devices (IUDs), progesterone-only oral
contraceptives, or the morning after pill, you may be more
likely to have a tubal pregnancy.

If you think that you may be at risk of tubal pregnancy, talk to
your doctor about it before attempting to conceive. Although
there is nothing that can be done to prevent tubal pregnancy, if
monitored closely it can be detected early.

If you are pregnant and experience any of the symptoms of tubal
pregnancy, contact your doctor immediately. Tubal pregnancy is
just one of those things that you want to have checked out, even
if you only have so much as a hunch. It can’t hurt to be sure,
and it may save your life.

The advent of modern technology has been amazing to help people
getting things done in twice the time, and getting things
delivered twice as fast. But what do we do when our technology
fails us? What happens when our techny clip-board dies? Sure you
can smack it a couple of times but honestly this solution will
be short term and may end up only damaging your equipment. The
best insurance that a battery will last you
a long time is using quality components and following all the
instructions.

Battery life time varies greatly depending on a number of
factors. Two important factors are the number of applications
and types of applications on the small appliance being used. If
you want your battery to last a long time, try not to run down
the battery life by overusing the appliance. If it is necessary
to run multiple applications for an extended period of time, you
may want to consider purchasing a larger capacity battery (if
available), or purchasing an extra battery so you will always
have a charged battery when you need it.

The “memory effect” is another factor you may have heard about
that affects battery life. The memory effect is a pattern seen
in certain batteries that causes then to hold less charge. It
occurs when a battery is only partially used and then recharged
to full charge. It is similar to voltage depression, a condition
in which the battery’s voltage level drops faster even though
total charge power of the battery remains the same. These
effects are caused by repeated over charging of that batteries
that leave electrolyte build up on the battery. People have come
up with several theories to overcome the memory effect, thought
most are just that, theories, and are difficult to duplicate in
the real world.

Battery manufacturers have worked to develop more powerful and
effective batteries. The newest and most popular advent in
battery technology is the Lithium Ion battery and it surpasses
traditional batteries in many ways. Li-Ion batteries charge
faster and weigh much less. They are also more environmentally
sound because they do not contain toxic materials such as
mercury. And most importantly, Li-Ion batteries do not suffer
from memory effect. The technology for Li-Ion batteries is
increasing every day.

So an everlasting battery may not yet exist, but we can be
assured that engineers are working every day to make the
batteries that help us in our daily lives, faster, safer, and
more powerful.

For many years, if you wanted to start a strength training regimen, you only had two real choices. One is to buy free weights and dumbbells and workout at home, or you could get a monthly membership a fitness gym and get access to their weight machines. But today there are more options open to the fitness conscious consumer, and there are plenty of choices in the home gym equipment field to consider. So if you are in the market for a home gym here are some of the things that you should be looking for.

Generally, most home gym equipment falls into two major categories, the first being home gyms that use rods or bars to create resistance, and the second being strength training machines that use a weight stack or plates. The biggest difference in these two will be the price that you pay for them, and the second difference is the amount of space that each one takes up in your home.

The first kind of home gym equipment often can be folded up and takes up very little space in the room. However many experts claim that the workouts with this kind of equipment are not as thorough or complete as the more expensive weight training machines which usually take up a lot more room space. But whichever type of equipment you choose, keep these considerations in mind:

Consider the size of the room where you will be placing the equipment first. If space is a major consideration, then it may best to go with a unit that folds up and out of the way.

The assembly of any home gym equipment can be difficult at best, so if you are not used to assembling this kind of product you may want to pay extra to have someone put it together for you. Just be sure to include the assembly cost in your overall budget.

Make sure that any home gym you buy is made of solid and durable materials. The frame itself needs to be made of heavy steel, and be very strong and sturdy even when supporting the maximum weight. The cables that are used to connect to each weight stack should be especially strong and made of quality material too.

Most people will need a weight stack of around at least 200 lbs. to be able to make the most use of the equipment. If more than one person plans on working out at the same time on your equipment, you might even consider getting a second weight stack in that case.

Finally, never buy any home gym equipment without testing it personally beforehand. Regardless of whether you buy your home gym online or not, you need to go through a complete workout on it to make sure that it will fit you best. If you do, and you follow the guidelines listed above, you should be able to find the best home gym equipment for your needs.

Thad Pickering writes on many consumer related topics including fitness. You can find the best home gym equipment and home gym reviews by visiting our Home Fitness website.

Why Choose California?
In the state of California, paralegals, or legal assistants, rank among the top 100 professions. This is a captivating employment trend as it projects to grow faster than average in comparison to paralegals in the other US states, as well as all other occupations within California. It is possible to think of gaining one of the two voluntary certifications, such as:
Registered Paralegal (RP)
Certified Legal Assistant (CLA)
These will enable you to distinguish yourself from other job applicants.

CLA exam is mostly used by students of paralegal programs in California. A two-day examination administered by the Certifying Board of Legal Assistance must be taken and passed by anyone who wants to use the CLA title; it is also required that one must meet the National Association of Legal Assistants established standards of practice.
Certified Legal Assistant (CLA) certification test can also be taken in California. You can achieve this title by sitting for and passing a four-hour test that pertains to a chosen specialty field.
The 5 specialty areas to make your selections from are as follows:
• Business and Organizations
• Estates and Trusts
• Family Law
• Civil Litigation
• Real Estate

To recap, every five years this certification must be renewed. You need to demonstrate that you successfully completed 70 hours of valid continuing education credits in the legal field within a five-year period, or your certification will not be renewed.

It was one of those once-in-a-life-time moments. The entire
World celebrated Christmas Eve, 1968, by sitting glued to
television sets. Apollo 8 was in Moon orbit, broadcasting
first-ever, live television shots of the Moon’s surface. Man
had yet to set foot on the Moon, so this Moon orbit was
truly an historic moment.

On board the spacecraft, three American astronauts, Frank
Borman, James Lovell Jr. and William Anders, gave a Christmas
greeting to earthbound viewers, and spoke briefly of their mission.
The onboard camera was then focused on the view outside the
cabin window.

There it was, the surface of the Moon, close-up like you had
never seen it before. Then one of the astronauts, Frank Borman,
did a most amazing thing…

As spellbound viewers watched the surface of the moon moving
slowly across their TV screens, Frank Borman began reading
from the Book of Genesis, “In the beginning, God created the
heavens and the earth…”

As Borman read, goose bumps crawled up and down my spine.
It may seem humdrum today, but back in 1968 this broadcast
triggered a stillness around the world like no one had felt
before. It was a moment many will never forget.

While at work a few days later, I overheard a news broadcast
reporting Madalyn Murray O’Hare, the infamous atheist, had filed
a complaint with NASA (National Aeronautics and Space
Administration), complaining of the televised reading of scripture.
The report went on to say she intended to put a stop to reading
of scripture in space over government radios.

This was the same woman who single-handedly managed to get
prayer banned in public schools. Now here she was again, rearing
her ugly will upon the people. I was incensed. But even before that
newscast was over, I remember saying aloud, “Over my dead body.”

Then and there I did something that would effect the outcome
of my entire life. I made a decision to begin a petition drive in
opposition to O’Hare. I quickly typed out a simple statement
endorsing the astronauts’ actions and brought it around to
my co-workers to sign.

My plan was to make 5 copies of the petition and send one
each to NASA, the town library where I lived, both Houses
of Congress, and the President of the United States.

With about 100 signatures in hand, I went around my
neighborhood after work and collected about 50 more.
I was excited and was on a mission. But I needed more
signatures. That’s when my father-in-law suggested I go
to the night editor of the local newspaper for help. He told
me they are always looking for human-interest stories.
Maybe they would print mine.

So after supper that night I went to the paper. I remember the
man I first spoke to yelling back to another gentleman saying,
“Hey, Charlie, here’s our answer to Madalyn O’Hare!”

The next day went by as usual…until I got home after work.
When I walked into the kitchen, there my wife and mother-
in-law were, sitting at the kitchen table with papers scattered
around. My mother-in-law, who was on the phone, looked up
and gave me one of her “you’ve really done it this time” looks.
Then she said, “Here, take it. This phone has done nothing
but ring all day.”

And that is how my petition drive got airborne. Without my
knowing it, my story was picked up by newswire services
and went worldwide.

The phone never quit ringing. Have you ever had the phone
to ring in the same moment you disconnected the call?
Well that is how it was for eight solid hours. It never quit.
We had to disconnect the phone from the wall to keep
it from ringing throughout the night while asleep.

I received calls from all around the world, literally. People
far and wide wanted copies of my petition. They wanted
to help gather signatures.

My family and I were in shock at the massive response
that was pouring in. It was only the beginning.

Within a week, the mailman was delivering five and six
large duffel bags of mail a day to our doorstep. It was
overwhelming, and I didn’t know what to do or how to
proceed. Mailbags were piling up by the dozens.
I remember we all prayed because this had become
more than my family or I could handle.

Then one day after work, NASA called me. A kindly gentleman
said he represented a group of employees at NASA calling
themselves the Apollo Prayer Group. They met regularly within
NASA to pray for the success of each mission. They had heard
of my petition and wanted to know if they could be of any help.

The NASA prayer group offered to take up the cause of my
petition, make 5 microfilm copies of each page and see to
it that all five copies were sent to where I wanted them to go.
Their call was most welcome and verified for me that this
was the answer to our prayer.

In the end, some five million signatures were gathered,
copies made and sent per my request. Madalyn Murray
O’Hare dropped her law suit, and Congress passed a law
that guarantees the right of reading the Bible aloud in space
over NASA radio frequencies.

Two years later I learned I had been invited to NASA to
attend a banquet in my honor. Not only would the Apollo
8 astronauts be in attendance, Senator Everet Dirkson
of Illinois was to speak and honor me for my actions.
Unfortunately, my job had moved me three times, and
I never learned of the NASA banquet until after the fact.

From this one event in my life I learned
several life-changing lessons.

1. We are born to greatness:

At the time I was in my middle 20’s and naive. I didn’t know
any better to think I could fail. Failure wasn’t an option.
I simply saw myself defeating this ugly spirited person
and did!

Now I know why I could defeat her. We are created in God’s
image. Translated into street language, that means we are
born to do great things.

Looking back, that whole event has shaped every decision
I have made since. There is a boldness within me to this
day that allows me to make decisions and act in ways
that many people simply will not.

In walking around my neighborhood to obtain petition
signatures, I met a woman who was afraid to sign my
petition. She told me she feared communists taking over
our country one day. “When they do,” She said, “they will
use lists like the one I have to persecute people.”

What a shame it must be to live like this person…being
motivated by intimidation and fear.

You see, our ability to achieve success, though God given,
is tempered day by day through our experiences and thoughts.
We can change our ability to become achievers by changing
our perception of ourselves.

Once you begin to see yourself as God created you, there
is nothing that can hold you back. Jesus would say, “If you
have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this
mountain. ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you”

2. Timing is everything to move the masses:

When I listened to that radio newscast about Madalyn O’Hare,
I didn’t know about timing. All I felt was anger and determination
to stop her cold. But then so did many other people. It was the
right time. All that was needed was someone to ignite the spark
of resistance. I provided a way for them to speak out, to have a
part in history.

3. People are motivated by causes:

I was uninvolved and minding my own business back in 1968.
It wasn’t until my anger was stirred and brought to cause that I
became involved. And so it was for five million others who
signed that petition.

4. There will always be others willing to help:

Just when I thought I was overwhelmed with petition requests,
NASA called me to offer help. I didn’t need to be asked twice.

5. The Power of One is the seed to produce a great harvest:

Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would collect five million
signatures in a petition drive, but it happened.

I like to use the example of a corn seed (I live in corn country).
When I consider how many bushels can be harvested from
the kernels of just one ear of corn, it amazes me.

So this is what I have learned from that one experience back in
1968. Take a child of God (greatness), give them an opportunity
(timing and cause) and you have the ingredients to do the
impossible…to change our world.

You have the power of one. In you lies the seed of greatness.
God has granted this to you by right of birth. Let me encourage
you to claim this birthright. To His Glory.

Jim Lynn is the author of “Real World Secrets Behind America’s
Most Successful (And Profitable) People Who Network.”

http://peoplewhonetwork.net

Parental example, whether for good or for bad, is undoubtedly the most powerful influence on a child’s moral and social development.

If we are to succeed at all in bringing up our children in the way we want them to grow up, we have to be mindful
of this day and night.

Let’s say you are taking your family on an outing to the local zoo. As you enter the gates and take out your purse to pay for admission, you notice a sign that says children under six go in free.

“Ah!” you think to yourself. “My youngest child turned six a few weeks ago, but I’ll tell them she’s still five and save a few pennies. It’s only a tiny untruth, nobody will know the difference and the zoo company will certainly not go bankrupt because of it.”

But one of your older sons, who is no fool, overhears your exchange with the attendant at the counter and quizzes you about it as you all pass through the turnstiles.

“Don’t worry about it, son,” you tell him reassuringly. “Everybody does it.”

Then a year later, you’re shocked when this same son is caught cheating in a school exam, or helping himself to an apple in the market when he thought the stall owner was looking the other way. You angrily demand to know how he could dare to bring such shame upon the entire family.

“But Dad,” he protests. “Everybody does it.”

Here’s a remarkable true story that shows this principle working in the opposite direction - and demonstrates just how far the effects of one single action can reach:

A woman went to the supermarket with her children. After checking out, she found she had paid too much. The checkout clerk refused to refund her the difference, so she approached the store manager and explained the mistake. The manager was too busy to pay much attention to the woman’s problem. However, he reached into his cash drawer and handed the woman a couple of bank notes, just to keep her quiet!

On the way home, the woman realized that she now had the opposite problem - the manager had given her too much money! But it was already late, she was tired and the children were very restless, so she just continued the journey home.

That night, the woman could not sleep. She could not stop thinking about the money in her purse that did not belong to her. Every day she drove her children to school, but that morning she especially left early and on the way stopped at the supermarket. In front of the children, she explained to the manager that he had refunded her too much money in error the previous day.

The manager shrugged his shoulders and looked surprised that a customer had come all the way back just to return a couple of small coins, but replaced the extra money in his cash drawer.

Months later, one of the woman’s children was sitting at his desk at school, watching his teacher return a batch of test papers to the class.

It had been a difficult test, and the lad was thrilled to learn that he had received an “A+” grade. The teacher praised him for his perfect score, and then began to review the correct answers with the class.

As the teacher read out the answers, the boy realised he had actually made a mistake in the test but the teacher had not noticed it. For a long time, he debated with himself whether to inform the teacher or not.

In the end, his conscience triumphed. After class, he approached the teacher and pointed out the grading error. The teacher was so impressed with the boy’s honesty that he let him keep the “A+” grade all the same!

When the boy told his mother the story at home that evening, he confessed that a mighty battle had raged inside him after he had become aware of the teacher’s error. His pride as the recipient of such a high grade was so strong that he had almost decided in favour of keeping quiet about the mistake.

But then he remembered how a few months earlier his mother had refused to rest until she had returned a few paltry coins that she felt did not belong to her. From that moment, he said, the battle ended and his mind was made up.

Most parents (and teachers) do understand to some extent that the most effective way to implant moral values and good habits in children is by personal example.

The problem is that we sometimes demand certain desirable behaviours from our children that we personally have not yet mastered, or do not practise for whatever reason. The youngsters are quick to pick up what they see as hypocrisy, and this may lead to unfortunate consequences.

We may tell our children to eat nutritious meals, while we try to survive on junk food. We may urge them to be polite at all times and to be careful to greet everyone they meet courteously, yet when we pass our neighbours in the street, we are in such a hurry that we do not as much as glance at them.

We may deeply believe that anger is a very bad character trait, and admonish our children every day to control their tempers. Yet, after a long and hard day of housework or at the office when our nerves are near breaking point, we fly into a rage immediately when our children do something that displeases us. And if we think about it enough, we will be able to come up with many more examples.

One thing, however, we have to know, internalise and constantly remind ourselves. The formative years of early childhood are always, by nature, the most impressionable ones in the lives of your offspring.

The way we conduct ourselves in every situation makes an unmistakable subconscious impact on their minds. This impact is bound to remain with them for many, many years to come, whether they are consciously aware of it or not.

Azriel Winnett is creator of Hodu.com - Your Communication Skills Portal. This popular free website helps you improve your communication and relationship skills in your business or professional life, in the family unit and on the social scene. New articles added almost daily.