Located on the southernmost portion of the continent of Africa is the Republic of South Africa, the birthplace of Krugerrand gold coins. In addition to mining, it's also known for wool, diamonds and of course precious metal rich ore. It's home to over thirty million people, and has an interesting and checkered past.

The history books credit the official European discovery to a Portuguese sailor named Bartholomew Diaz in 1488, four years before Columbus' famous voyage to America. The first white settlers arrived in 1652, and French, Dutch and Germans followed. In 1795 Great Britain captured the colony, and started centuries of rule and strife. To escape British rule, many Boers (farmers) migrated north and established the Boer Republics of the Transvaal.

In 1877 the British annexed the Transvaal, and the Boers were understandably upset. Two Boer Wars (1880 and 1899) followed, and during this time Paul Kruger (who served as President of the Transvaal) became a hero to the people. The Boers lost the war, and were absorbed into the British Empire- Britain was particularly motivated to win due to the discovery of gold and diamonds in the Boer settled areas. In 1934 the Union of South Africa became a sovereign state in the British Empire. There was still a great of strife between the Boers and the English, and in the mid 1940s the Boers relinquished that status and became a republic- finally withdrawing from the British Commonwealth early 1960s.

The first Krugerrand gold coins were struck in July 1967, as a means to market South African gold to the world. They were the designed as a gold bullion investment vehicle, and were marketed by the amount of gold bullion they contained, which was stamped on the coin, rather than a face value, as was stamped on their predecessors. Paul Kruger was on the obverse of the coin, and the Springbok antelope adorned the reverse. The coins were successful, however due to the shameful policy of apartheid their sale was affected by economic sanctions from the Western countries. When apartheid was abolished and Nelson Mandela was inaugurated as president in May of 1994, Krugerrand gold coins took their place as the world's premium and most popular gold bullion coin.

We must bear in mind the ancient myths, not as lazy academic imitations of neoclassicism, but as spiritual figures of a renovated adolescence... (Giuseppe Ungaretti - Definitions of modernity)

The outcome of the Second World War is the end of Europe as a political power: it ceases to be the reference of world politics and the division into regions of influence mars its culture.

A thousand years of history end up where Europe becomes no longer the subject but the object of history. It is necessary to get rid of all the traps, which are causing spiritual and material disorder. "But this process is not and cannot be an economic event only (...) political decisions have a deep cultural, spiritual and morale basis. The cultural unity of Europe, in the different traditions, interpenetrates and enriches all nations (...) Research European identity leads us to the sources." (J. Paul II - Prague April 21st 1990)

Nietzsche prophetically forecasted: "Only moneys will force Europe to huddle together in a single power". This sentence poses us the question to better understand the authentic reasons that motivate the common destiny of being united. European leaders should go beyond through something that is reliably deeper than a straightforward administrative union.

It seems that Europe is a sort of blind passion and we know that "there is nothing more dangerous than a blind passion in science..." (N. Semyonov).

It is then essential that political vision should be based upon a recovery of traditional civilization.

Europe must be founded on a conception of the world strong enough to allow people to destroy barbaric materialism and restore a Christian vision. Church should re-discover the sense of mysteries to favorite a complete renaissance.

It may happen that Europe will rediscover the ancient principles of Regality, the ancient Kings, today specters of the past. This would be a first step for a complete improvement. Europe should resume the passage from the point where society has taken the wrong road. We should take the best of the past to construct a valid basis for the future and avoid any looping into the history.

10 Books That Screwed Up the World: And 5 Others that Didn't Help By Benjamin Wiker, Ph.D. published by Regnery Publishing, Inc. This book was deeper than my normal tastes and abilities, but after two "intellectual" friends recommended it and I saw the title, I couldn't resist. I have not been a student of ideologies. I had only a cursory knowledge of the authors and works this book addresses, yet I found it to be interesting and very informative.

The author surveys the major writings of ideologues such as; Machiavelli, Descartes, Rousseau, Marx, Darwin, Nietzche, Sanger, Hitler, Kinsey and others. The book includes the premise behind each work, background on the author and the negative results of their theories on the culture and ideologues to follow. I was surprised to find how much these ideologies have permeated our culture and even my own thinking.

The author starts the book with the concept that ideas have consequences, and in this case negative consequences. That certainly is evident in the pages that follow. It is clear to me how easily we can buy into these ideas; most often because they satisfy our flesh or pride. It was interesting and revealing that all of the ideologues claimed to be atheists. The author's spiritual position is not demonstrative but also not hidden. I found this paragraph in the book especially helpful. "What is ideology?

We live in such an ideological age that it's hard for us to distinguish good thinking from bad. The crucial distinction is that ideology is not philosophy. Philosophy is the love of wisdom, the love of what is real, whether we happen to like it or not. It is the desire for truth, and the continual humility to remold our desires to fit reality. Ideology comes at truth from the opposite direction, molding truth to what we happen to desire....Pseudo-science is thus the handmaid to ideology. Politics is its hammer." The book was a great read and well worth the time.

A few weeks ago, maybe months, I was watching a film on the Navy SEALS on the history channel or public television or one of my other favorite click stops between innings of the Detroit Tigers losing another heartbreaker. So when I was goggling Iraq war topics my interest was peaked when I came across Iraq in My Eyes: Memoirs of a Navy SEAL by Chuck Bravedy.

The short book is Bravedy's perspective of the war in Iraq, what's gone wrong and gone right and where we should go to bring about a peaceful end to the long drawn-out occupation of Iraq. Where we should be going, says the author, is the prisons of Iraq that are filled with insurgents - a captive audience that we should indoctrinate rather than just letting them set there until the courts set them free.

Bravedy presents a three-point plan to end the war in Iraq and achieve an honorable withdrawal, something we could not achieve in Vietnam. But I was intrigued more by his frank discussion of Radical Islam political forces in Iran and how the US is taking a soft glove approach, even a hands-off approach, because Islam is a religion as well as a political ideology.

We get so messed up in the U.S. because of the incessant demand that everyone be politically correct. And this driving force causes us to miss some important truths along the way, as Bravedy so rightly points out. Communism and fascism are political ideologies which this country rightly battled in past years. Christianity, Taoism, Buddhism, Confucius and are religious ideologies that we rightly tolerate. But Radical Islam is a political ideology, which Bravedy so clearly describes as a force teaching to hate and kill Americans - in Iraq, Afghanistan, or in the subways of New York.

We should battle Radical Islam in the same way as we have the Nazis and Communists in the past. The fact that these terrorists use their own twisted view of their god to justify hatred, anger, and killing does not give them a free base. Bravedy asks why Korans are made available in Iraq prison cells run by Americans and why don't we infiltrate Radical Islam mosques where terrorist news and information is communicated. Why, I also ask. And why are we failing so badly in our occupation and efforts to peacefully withdraw? We fail so badly because we succeed so well at being politically correct. Three cheers to Iraq in My Eyes and to Chuck Bravedy.

I once had a boss who informed me there was no such thing as company politics. At the time, I decided that depended on whether you were the person wielding power or influenced by it. In my career experience, I'd categorize self-serving antics, sabotaging behaviors, information hoarding and artful manipulation under the heading of company politics. I'd throw in veiled threats, perpetuated mistruths, finger-pointing and coercion. There's a long list of behaviors I've personally experienced or witnessed in the workplace under the politics label. And I'm sure you can add your own.

These negative work cultures are fraught with fear. Fear you'll step on a career grenade, lose your job, be labeled a trouble-maker or relegated to the non-promotable category. Fear you'll say the wrong thing, fall into project quicksand, find no support or be kept out of the loop. These soul-depleting cultures trample self-esteem, negate initiative, encourage survival behavior and diminish motivation.

But in twenty years in management I've learned something else about company politics. It doesn't have to be a blood-sport. The politics label can be assigned to assisting other departments, supporting company initiatives, cooperating with those in charge, sharing information, and helping others achieve results. You see, strategic alignments, interdepartmental collaboration and volunteering for additional work assignments are politics, too.

Politics can be served with a negative or a positive impact. Samuel B. Bacharach, a Cornell University professor, puts it this way in Get Them on Your Side: "Politics is simply the way we influence others to achieve our goals. As long as those goals are positive, and not achieved at the expense of others, the politics of getting them accomplished is neither manipulative nor negative. Dictators may be political, but saints might be, too."

It's the intention behind an action that determines whether politics creates fear or builds relationships. What's the motive? If politics is a dirty word where you work, undermining results and reducing staff engagement, consider your contribution to that culture.

You see, we have a choice how we use our power and influence. And don't be naïve to think you don't have both. We all have power and influence over people in our lives: staff, coworkers, family, bosses, children. We can serve our brand of politics from well-intentioned thoughts or manipulative self-interest. And each impacts differently.

(c) 2006 Nan S. Russell. All rights reserved.

MOXNews.com January 11, 2010 CNN



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In this video historian Rick Shenkman discusses the subject of his new book: JUST HOW STUPID ARE WE? FACING THE TRUTH ABOUT THE AMERICAN VOTER (Basic Books, June 2008). Mr. Shenkman is an associate professor of history at George Mason University and the editor of the History News Network. He blogs at: howstupidblog.com



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Just when you thought it was safe to kiss chickens again... WASHINGTON POST Asia correspondent comes out with this fascinating book on the history of the struggle against bird flu (H5N1). And guess what? It's not over yet.

Right now the media's attention is on the "swine" flu (H1N1) that spread from Mexico in April 2009. It's now spread to many countries around the world and is killing a disproportionate number of children.

The media's attention of the pandemic threat of H5N1 stopped many catastrophic news cycles ago. Yet the H5N1 is still a threat. It's deeply entrenched in the chicken populations of China, probably some wild birds and no doubt Indonesia and other countries.

We never got the 1918-style massively lethal pandemic that experts in 2005 were predicting. The H5N1 virus never mutated into a strain that is both highly lethal and highly contagious.

Yet some people who have contact with chickens get it. And some people who have contact with those people get it. Over the years, the lethality rate has consistently averaged 60%.

However, it's not easily spread through coughing, sneezing and germs in the environment, as seasonal (and swine) flu are.

This book is a fascinating look at the human and political stories related to bird flu. Sipress takes us to witch doctors in Indonesia, cockfights and chicken farms in Thailand, high levels World Health Organization (WHO) meetings in Geneva, chicken smuggling trails on the China-Vietnam border, a Buddhist temple in Phnom Penh where "merit birds" are released from cages to earn good karma, a for-show chicken vaccination in Java, a "wet market" (selling live chickens) in Jakarta, and a slaughterhouse in Hanoi selling forged health certificates for chickens.

We meet with WHO flu experts, bird flu victims in their deathbeds, their grieving relatives, the Indonesian health minister withholding flu samples until promised the vaccine that might be made from them, the Vietnamese scientist creating their own bird flu vaccine, and epidemiologists tracking diseases through real minefields of war and metaphorical minefields of international politics.

My only real criticism is that this book mentions but fails to chronicle the stories of bird flu outside Southeast Asia. It's infected people in Pakistan, Iraq, Bangladesh, Egypt and Nigeria. What's happening in Africa, which makes the poverty of Southeast Asia look like Beverly Hills?

Through it all runs the argument that someday, somewhere... H5N1 will mutate or recombine or trade RNA segments with another flu strain (H1N1 is now a likely candidate) to create the flu experts' nightmare -- a virus that kills up to 60% of its victims and which spreads as easily as seasonal flu.

And his argument is that, despite the horror this would cause the world, politics, poverty and cultural traditions are preventing the world's experts from properly defending us all against a repeat (or worse) of 1918.

I frankly don't know if another 1918-style pandemic is as likely as the doomsayers want us to believe. However, this book is a fascinating account and description of life and death in the most interesting part of the world.

This interesting article published by the BBC outlines two men and the books they have written arguing that storytelling influences voters far more than facts or logic. I think that these are quite poignant observations given our evolutionary bias to storytelling as well as the increasing absurdity of American politics. The authors propose that voters may even vote against their own interests because they have such strong attachments to stories surrounding the issues, regardless of logic or facts that may counter the storylines.

Drew Westen, author of The Political Brain, views American politics from the following perspective. Politicians on the Left generally rely on facts and what they deem to be sound arguments to attract voters. Politicians on the Right rely on the trend that voters do not like things explained to them and do not like politicians who portray themselves as knowing the right answers or knowing what is best for the populace. It is not a matter of which side is right or wrong, it is a difference of strategy. While politicians on the Left continue to struggle using facts to attract voters, politicians on the Right have found success with storytelling. By creating a convincing story that appeals to emotion rather than reason, opposing candidates can easily fall out of favor with the voters, even if the stories hold little or no truth. Thomas Frank, author of What's The Matter with Kansas, believes that the modern voter prefers emotional argument over reasonable argument.

"For Mr Westen, stories always trump statistics, which means the politician with the best stories is going to win"

"As Mr Frank sees it, authenticity has replaced economics as the driving force of modern politics. The authentic politicians are the ones who sound like they are speaking from the gut, not the cerebral cortex. Of course, they might be faking it, but it is no joke to say that in contemporary politics, if you can fake sincerity, you have got it made."

Another example that is relevant is the campaign slogans that John McCain and Barack Obama used during the 2008 election. The McCain campaign used the image of a Maverick to endorse the candidate, while the Obama campaign used the slogan Change We Can Believe In. Both candidates wanted to cast themselves as a departure from the status quo, as something new in Washington. However, to be successful in Washington it is unlikely that one can be too different. But the reality does not matter, because voters, in addition to favoring policy, will emotionally identify with the image and story of the candidate they prefer.

So what does any of this have to do with the built environment?

Imagine an election that will determine city taxes, future developments, zoning issues or transportation options. The result of the election could lead to policy, or a budget, that could significantly alter the built environment, for better or for worse.

A concrete example of this is a November 2009 election in Colorado Springs, CO. Facing a severely tight budget, the city was looking for ways to save money. The leading proposal was to cut fire fighter jobs and stop maintenance on city parks, close public swimming pools and cut youth sports. Not great options for most citizens of the city. As an alternative, a tax was proposed to alleviate the financial strain and avert a reduction of city services. The tax would have cost families approximately $120 per year over 10 years. However, facts were quickly overwhelmed by contradicting stories that passing the measure would increase taxes by 300%, as well as stories that citizens should not have to pay more taxes and outrage at the failure of the city counsel (not necessarily unjustified).

As background, Colorado Springs has some of the lowest property taxes in the state and nation, and the population largely supports small-government and anti-tax politics.

Despite facts supporting passage of the bill with tangible urban benefits at stake, stories appealing to the emotions of voters won out. The measure was defeated by nearly 2 to 1. As a result, unless private money comes through, or some other unforeseen solution develops, many of the more than 140 parks throughout the city will go without water or maintenance during the summer. No public swimming pools will open and many youth sports programs will be eliminated, and community centers closed. In addition, 1/3 of the city's streetlights will be turned off in an effort to save more money. It seems as though the city, backed by the voters, have chosen to generate their own urban blight and reduce the value of the city and neighborhoods. This decision does not seem to be in anyone's best interest, and yet the voters were sold on the stories.

To recap, in elections and politics, facts and tangibles can be outweighed by stories, no matter if they are true or false. If the political decisions impact city resources, or civic and transportation projects, then these stories can impact the built environment. As voters and designers, we need to be aware of how stories can influence our decision making, as well as how stories can lay the groundwork for amazing and positive urban and architectural developments.

As an Online Dating Coach, I read a lot of Internet personal ads that - quite frankly - surprise me! Some of the guys who write Online Personal Ads seem to be writing ads that are designed to sell used cars. And from the women? I often see personal ads that even low-end mail order catalogs would refuse.

Take for example this one, written by a 41-year-old woman (and note the spelling error in the headline) --

professional who enjoys open conversation - 41

"I love to talk about books that have struck you bizarre or interesting. I do want someone to hang out with, and must enjoy talking about politics, books, places and wine. Must love chocolate!"

We can immediately see that this woman likes to communicate (and that's a good thing, yes?) and she also enjoys "talking about everything" - including "books that have struck you bizarre." (Are we talking about Stephen King novels here?) In addition to that, it would be great if you can talk about "politics, places, and wine" - but the main thing is that you love chocolate...

It's hard to imagine what sort of guy she'll attract with that ad!

Or - take a look at this online personal ad, from a 29-year-old guy who describes himself as a "Tattoo Teddy Bear" --

tattoo teddy bear - 29

"I just want a good girl that knows how to treat a man with respect."

Short, sweet, and to the point, yes?

So is it any wonder that so many single men and women are just like "two ships passing in the night?"

One of the secrets to writing online personal ads that work is to write your ad just like you're having a real, live, conversation with your reader.

In other words, here's what NOT to do:

1. Don't write your ad so it sounds like advertising copy from a magazine.

2. Don't "talk down" to your reader.

3. Don't write a one-sentence ad and expect to get many replies!

Here's what youSHOULD do:

1. Talk about yourself in terms of who you are as a person, what you enjoy doing on a date, and list some of your hobbies and interests.

2. Tell the reader (without bragging) how he or she will feel when they're with you. Put yourself in the mind and soul of your reader, and empathize with them. What are they thinking - and what might they be feeling - while reading your ad?

3. Talk about some of your best qualities. (Are you warm and friendly? A good listener? Are you compassionate and understanding?)

4. What's the benefit (i.e., the "payoff") for answering your ad right now? And finally...

5. Don't forget to spell-check your ad before you submit it!

By creating an honest and empathic dialog with your reader when writing your online personal ads, you'll be way ahead of most of your competitors for the attention of the women - or men - you'd like to hear from the most!

The book is part of the American History in Depth series. The author is John Dumbrell and the general editor of the series is A. J. Badger. The book is published in Hong Kong, 1997, by McMillan Publications. It is in paperback (ISBN: 0-333-61094-6), and it is also available in hardcover (ISBN: 0-333-61093-8); with papers suitable for recycling. No picture, table or graph can be seen in this book; except the photograph on the front cover that shows presidents Carter and Clinton together. As we can see in the Bibliographical Note, the author used secondary sources as well as some primary articles in form of printed articles.

The book focuses on the America foreign policy in the mid-20th century (from Carter's to Clinton's presidency) that was marked with the "struggle between liberal democratic capitalism and Soviet state socialism". As it is stated in the introduction, the book discusses four major themes:

1) ending of the Cold War,

2) the legacy of Vietnam War

3) American decline, and

4) the possibilities of the democratic foreign policy after 1977.

It examines the "long tradition of American optimism" saying that despite apparent victories, American optimism was under pressure during 1980s; the great pressure and damage coming from America's defeat in Vietnam War which as carter put it made Americans understand that they are "no better than other people". Throughout the book, it is shown how attitudes and decisions in American foreign policy were under the influence of the Vietnam legacy, with special focus on the four presidents of the era, Carter, Reagan, Bush and Clinton. The author tries to put the information together in an impartial way, criticizing or approving of the events carefully.

About Carter it is said that he believed that the cold war period had ended and that it was time to pursue "domestic processes". His other goal was to put commitment to human rights at the center of his foreign policy. But he never reached it because in some cases human rights were ignored because security issues were more important. In his time in the office, 2 revolutions took place that were not favorable to US, one in Iran and the other in Nicaragua. These events made Carter's presidency as a period full of crisis. Reagan's policies are discussed after Carter's. First his decision to increase defense expenditure is stated and the fact that he believed that America must develop a "high-tech shield that would protect it from nuclear threats. Then his doctrine is presented:" American sponsorship to all enemies of communism in the developing countries". That's why he involved America in the Lebanese crisis so that it would not become a communist state. He also used human right as "an anti-soviet weapon". Another important thing about him that is analyzed in this book is his "shadow policy of "winning back Iran" that finally led to Iran-contra scandal. The Reagan- Gorbachev dialogue is one of the other things discussed in this book. Then the book focuses on Bush's presidency claiming that his policies mainly reflected that of Reagan's except his policies toward the soviet that were more cautious than Reagan's. It is explained that how he faced a dilemma in the second gulf war. He wanted to oppress Iraq that had invaded Kuwait and at the same time to keep Iraq as threat to Iran. Clinton is the last president that the book speaks of. It says that like Cater, Clinton emphasized domestic issues over foreign policy. He tried to "close the book on Vietnam, by promoting the cause of US trade and investment. His military program is also mentioned stating that he belied that its cost and size should be reduced.

The book is a good source of information for those who want to study the Cold war period and the effects of Vietnam war over American policies in the same era, especially undergraduate students who want a general information about the this period. For those who want a detailed description of the American foreign policy in the post-Cold war era, the book is not suitable because it does not go into details of the events and developments, giving only an overall picture. However in the End Notes for each chapter, one can find useful sources, books and articles that can guide him or her to further information about the topics discussed in chapters. In the Bibliographical Note also, the author suggests that: "much of the important secondary literature on recent US foreign policy may be found in specialist journals, notably Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, International Security and International Affairs."

Video recording of a public talk at Sarai CSDS, by renowned philosopher Jacques Ranciere on the release of the Hindi translation of his book Nights of Labour: Workers' Dream in 19th Century France. (Sarvahara Raatein: Unneesaveen sadi ke Frans mein Mazdoor Swapna). The book has been translated from the English by Abhay Kumar Dube. This the first in a series of translations of outstanding texts to be published by Sarai-CSDS and Vani Prakashan. The talk on the 6th of February 2009 was followed by a workshop and roundtable with Jacques Ranciere, the next day. Jacques Ranciere is a well known philosopher and writer. As a young student, Ranciere, co-authored Reading Capital (1968), with the Marxist philosopher Louis Althusser. Ranciere later broke with Althusser over the 1968 uprising in France. Since the 1970s Ranciere has produced a number of remarkable texts that range from working class history, philosophy, education, politics, and aesthetics. His books include The Ignorant Schoolmaster: Five Lessons in Intellectual Emancipation(1991), The Names of History: On the Poetics of Knowledge (1994), The Politics of Aesthetics: The Distribution of the Sensible Tr. Gabriel Rockhill (2004),The Future of the Image (2007). Ranciere wrote The Nights of Labour after years of archival work. It traces the world of worker intellectuals in 19th century France, who, through their poems, music, letters, produced a world that did not celebrate work as in conventional socialist texts, but a ...



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Made BEFORE the current crisis, more scary now. Scott Bittle and Jean Johnson discuss their book, "Where Does the Money Go?" and the mounting debt and deficit of America. They offer an estimate of the time until the failure of Medicare and Social Security, and general suggestions to address this problem. See IOUSA the movie, visit the YouTube site www.youtube.com See also Health care reform, a look at successful systems of Taiwan and Switzerland, probably acceptable to US, and similar to some existing US models. www.youtube.com Farm Subsidies: Welfare To The Wealthy, Costs You Billions www.youtube.com WELFARE for the Wealthy, as US Poverty, Hunger Increase www.youtube.com Fall of Rome vs Failure of American Politics and Economy www.youtube.com PBS Bill Moyers' personal take on Karl Rove www.youtube.com Iraq Cost Accounting, Bill Moyers www.youtube.com Earmarks, Washington Contributions, Corruption, Moyers pt1 www.youtube.com John McCain on earmarks www.youtube.com www.youtube.com Free Lunch, Corp Welfare, Bill Moyers and David Cay Johnston www.youtube.com John C. Bogel and Moyers, Capitalism and Democracy Pt 1 www.youtube.com 60 Minutes segment, third world charities providing healthcare for American working poor www.cbsnews.com Visit the PBS archives to see the complete show and more of Bill Moyers. www.pbs.org



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Competitors. No matter what industry or what products and services you may be selling, you undoubtedly have competition. At times, this fact may cause you considerable distress, while, in reality, our competitors keep us on our toes, always forcing us to further refine our message and methods in the hopes of ultimately winning the sale. So... thank you Mr. Competitor. We appreciate your efforts!

Our view of the competition, while varying at times, is our key to responsive selling and keeping our efforts focused where they should be... on the customer. Our competitors really do keep us sharp. We must know their strengths and weaknesses as well or better than we know our own. We must truly understand their products and services from our customers' viewpoint. If indeed our quest is to fully grasp the true nature of the needs and wants of our customers, then we must likewise have a full grasp of the myriad of choices that confront them as well as the manner in which our products and services can meet their expectations, offering more value than our competitors do.

That's fine. That is Selling 101 with an advanced flair. We must grow accustomed to do far more than that if we truly wish to be known as the superior alternative in the eyes of the customer. If today's savvy customer already expects a quality product, a fair price, on-time delivery, ease of order entry and a smooth flow of the entire transaction, then what is there left to do? Plenty!

It's seldom only the big things that your customers notice, but rather the summation of the many "little" things along the sales path that make a tremendous difference in their perception of you and your company. It begins with common courtesy, and that starts with the company receptionist.

1. Treat the company receptionist and other employees at every level with respect.
Many salespeople see her of little consequence or may even treat her rudely. First, she is deserving of respect just because she is a human being. She is also doing her job to the best of her ability. Her supervisor frequently calls on her to fill-in or perform many other office functions, often without much expressed gratitude. That receptionist certainly talks to other employees and often is part of the administrative side of purchasing, especially in smaller firms. If you are perceived as rude in any way, you have just burned your bridge with both the gatekeeper and the buyer.

2. Always speak in a professional manner. There is no room for off-color remarks or dark, "street-corner" humor.
Professional salespeople never include harsh humor or foul language in their vocabulary. This alone is often enough to differentiate you from some of your competitors. If you would not say it in church or to your grandmother, don't say it to your customer. Never degrade any person, race or creed.

3. Look the part of a sales professional.
Dress appropriately. While it is not always necessary to wear a suit or even a dress shirt and tie, there is never an excuse for wearing old, dirty, wrinkled or inappropriate clothing while visiting a customer's facility. So often, an acceptable mode of dress is a freshly pressed company-logo golf shirt and pressed khaki slacks with leather belt, leather shoes and socks. I have seen everything from tee shirts, blue jeans, no socks and every combination of dress imaginable while in the lobbies of companies over the years. A first impression can never be offered again, so make the first one count.

4. Present a firm handshake, both to men and women, looking at them directly.
This suggestion sounds so basic, but I have witnessed its violation countless times. That handshake and eye contact conveys both your confidence in yourself and your respect for your prospect. You cannot afford to be lacking in either category.

5. Be prepared. Know something about the company before you arrive there.
The internet provides unlimited access to data like never before in history. Be prepared before your call. Learn about the company. Be familiar with their structure, politics, community standing, legal problems, financial condition, their products, their customers, etc... Your communications with company individuals will be far more effective if you arrive well-schooled.

6. Ask effective questions. Let them do the talking. Learn all you can.
Your initial research as described above will enable you to probe, asking effective and relevant questions to uncover the customers' real issues, needs and wants. Listen and make notes. You will be seen as prepared and knowledgeable hence inspiring respect from your customer.

7. Develop a sales plan and a strategy for developing your relationship with this account.
Once you have learned the customers' needs and understand how they function as a company, you are now ready to formulate your plan of action. Your plan will be far more effective than that of any competitor who decided to show up one day and start telling this prospect about their great products. Your strategy will make sense to your customer; After all, you are now working within their structure and comfort zone.

8. Give away some valuable information for free.
Offer a tip, help them locate a supplier for an unrelated problem or solve a minor problem for them without charge. Do it cheerfully. Your payment will come later. Be patient.

9. Invite them to tour your company and meet your fellow associates.
Whether or not they choose to visit your facility is not the issue. The simple fact that you invited them conveys confidence and pride in your company and your ability to serve them. Your prospects are most likely proud of the firm they represent and will likewise appreciate you for offering the opportunity for a more intimate relationship.

10. Propose synergy, a mutually beneficial relationship between your two firms.
Try to find a way to partner with your customer through an industry affiliation, Chamber of Commerce reference or other means. If this is not possible, you may have the opportunity to introduce your customer to others in the community with whom they may enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship.

11. Don't make promises casually. Always deliver more than promised.
Always do what you say you will, in a prompt, forthright manner. Never allow yourself to be in the position of having your customer remind you of something which you promised to do or take care of. Always do more than asked. Do it with a smile.

12. Follow up. Call or email your customer regularly. Stay in touch.
Always follow up promptly. Send a confirming email. Mail catalogs quickly. Return phone calls as soon as possible. Drop a note in the mail. Send your customer news headlines relevant to their interests or industry. The point is to stay in touch. Keep yourself positioned in front of them in a positive light.

13. Refer your customer to other companies. Help bring them new business.
Every firm wants and needs new business opportunities. If you can bring your customer a new prospect or introduce them to another firm where they can establish a profitable relationship, you will benefit as well. They will know that you really care and are genuinely interested in them.

14. Remember your manners.
Look directly at people when you speak with them. Give them your total attention. Say "please" and "thank you" at the appropriate times. Listen carefully while they are speaking.

15. Turn off your cell phone while on a sales call or in a meeting.
Nothing is more rude or inconsiderate than having your time with your customer interrupted by a ringing cell phone, or worse, having you either take the call or simply look to see who is calling. Nothing speaks "you are not as important as this next phone call" louder than this. Simply place your phone on "vibrate" before your sales call. Any callers will be directed to your voice mail where you can respond after your current sales call is completed. Show consideration for your prospect or customer and give her your undivided attention.

There certainly are more ideas that you could implement, but these should be more than enough to get you started on a more productive path. Prospects require nurturing to become customers, who in turn require even more nurturing to blossom into long-term customers who will not be quickly turned away from you by the first low price or fleeting promise from some competitor. The time and effort invested in developing a solid customer relationship will always pay dividends in the long run. The steps you take to differentiate yourself from your competition are your only hedge against the continuous onslaught of your competition's marketing and selling efforts.

"Mr. Hitchens talked about his book Unacknowledged Legislation: Writers in the Public Sphere, published by Verso. The book is an examination of the relationship between literature and politics. Mr. Hitchens talks about writers who have entered the arena of political debate, ranging from Oscar Wilde's radicalism to Gore Vidal's cosmopolitanism. After his presentation, Mr. Hitchens took questions from the audience."



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5EtR-QE-0w&hl=en

Watching James Cameron's Avatar is one of those cinematically immersive experiences you have rarely in your life. After the movie ends there is a feeling of wanting to take the characters and the story home with you, to watch it again and take in the details of Pandora within your own home.

Since the Avatar is not due for release on DVD/Blu-Ray for some months why not take a look at some of the other ways you can enhance your understanding of the film and get a closer look details of this ground breaking film.

One of the most absorbing ways to relive the film without seeing it again is by listening to the soundtrack. James Horner has created another moving and emotive film score for Avatar and the CD follows the progression of the story so you can relive the film scene by scene. Turn up the sound, put a couple of ear buds in your ears, lay back and let the world of Avatar swim again in your imagination.

With titles like "You Don't Dream In Cryo" and "Jake's First Flight" you can quickly get a sense of where you are in the story and the events that unfold in your imagination as the music stirs can bring images back like nothing else. You'll be humming the theme in the shower in no time.

If you are more of a visual person, there are two significant book releases that can bring you back to Pandora very quickly while adding to your knowledge and understanding of the world.

The Art Of Avatar allows behind the scene access to the conceptual design of the film including the character designs, animals and plants and much more. This hardcover includes sketches, matte paintings, drawings, and film stills.

Avatar: A Confidential Report on the Biological and Social History of Pandora is by far the most detailed insight into the wildlife and biology of Pandora and the Naávi that inhabit the planet. It is more descriptive than the Art Of Avatar book and contains detailed descriptions of each creature, plant and phenomenon that Jake encounters on the planet.

There is a certain joy associated with being able to recognize a piece of film score or know why the flowers on Pandora bloom in a certain way. These books and CDs can not only allow you to relive your experience of Avatar but they will prepare you for the next time you see it on DVD or Blu-Ray.

Today in Australia our very 1st female prime minister took the oath to lead our country to the best of her ability. Watching her take her oath into office made me so proud to be a woman it actually bought a tear to my eye.

I remember many years ago when I was studying Social Science and the history of women in Australia. There was a time back when, women weren't able to post a vote and today, here we have it, a female heading our Country.

Are you wondering what the Aussie Prime Minister has to do with Internet Marketing? Well, I don't want to give you a history lesson here... but I will say that it's been extremely hard over the years for women to make a footprint so to speak in politics and the internet marketing industry. Politics in Australia has always been dominated by men until recently.

For those 1st starting out as an internet marketer it would be easy to think that the Industry is run by men and that there could possibly be a glass ceiling effect. However, this is certainly not true in this industry. Just as the New Prime Minister of Australia mentioned today in her press release "it's not like I had a glass ceiling I had to break through" She is an educated woman and could take any one of her colleagues on in the political arena. Educated being the keyword here!

There are also many women Entrepreneurs in the Internet Marketing arena and the one thing that has made the women as successful as the men in this industry is the fact that education is an open book. Knowledge is power and women are not being held back in this industry, they are educating themselves and giving the men a run for their money. Women now have the same opportunity of earning 6 & 7 figure incomes online and they are now doing it in a big way. Look Out Guys!

Bernard Chapin here with Volume of Chapin's INFERNO 377 The Grand Jihad ...I'm at veritaseducation@gmail.com Andrew McCarthy's New Book: www.amazon.com Our Sponsor: hollywoodloser.com Specific Shirts: hollywoodloser.com PajamasMedia.com archive pajamasmedia.com Women: Theory and Practice www.amazon.com Facebook: www.facebook.com Twitter twitter.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtBUBjnytGc&hl=en

(TV) Glenn Beck Program. David Horowitz talks about his new book, "One-Party Classroom". March 10, 2009. DavidHorowitzTV.com



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaFl-i4xRz8&hl=en

Every once in a while you find out that what you think you know about politics and current events of the time, turn out to be a complete 180 of the reality. Then sometimes you suspect foul play but cannot put your finger on it. Well, what if I recommend a very good book to you that will get you much closer to the truth than you probably wanted to get? Please read:

"Betrayal - How the Clinton Administration Undermined American Security" by Bill Gertz (also a reporter for the Washington Post specializing in defense and national security issues); Regency Publishing, Inc, an Eagle Publishing Company, Washington, DC. 1999. ISBN 0-89526-317-3

In case you've wondered exactly what all the fuss was over the Chinese and Clinton Administration and the transfer of top secret technology, but never thought to ask. Well, this is the book for you. And it is well documented, footnoted and enough to scare the hell out of you, and wonder why treason hearings were not conducted. Apparently, there is so much executive power in America that you can cover up just about anything as Gertz demonstrates in the first two chapters.

But is it really all politics and will we ever know you'll ask yourself? Well, keep reading, as it gets better, or worse, as he goes into the implications of nuclear technology, stress on the Korean Pennisula, missile and satellite technology. And how the Russians play a part and how the US is played off against the game.

Indeed from a political perspective one could say, as Bill Gertz does, what will become of the Clinton Legacy, and how will history portray the betrayl? I recommend this book to anyone that studies history, the flow of nuclear arms knowledge or the rapid advancement of the Chinese Military war machine. Please consider this.

One of Africa's century-old racially segregated, witnessing in most recent times what imperialism can still do to a whole nation; South Africa.

As an insider of African politics, growing there, being there, being impacted by; I can tell you that the funniest and assuredly the craziest thing is that the damage those local politics do has more destructive impact than whatever direct rulers would have ever done even in apartheid times, whatever colonialists would have already done to former colonies.

Nowadays throughout Africa local politics under influence of foreign forces (interests...) are perpetrating huge treason to their people mostly illiterate...to their advantages!

The world have watched happening right before our eyes, Political Unrest followed by unfinished massacre scenes in Rwanda, in Congo, in Liberia, in Sudan and unexpectedly in Ivory Coast and soon in Senegal.

The African American community, the African diaspora so to speak has a major role in preventing and entering into play in that international arena of preventive diplomacy wherever required in Africa... it's not just about following the lead of those corrupt governments to give oneself a sense of collaborative approach, the best citizen-oriented initiatives are led by civil society organisations in Africa... and a thoughtful and delicate filtering of those organisations is a MUST for any foreign assistance scheme to avoid infiltration by those same negative "Club, family interests group" we're supposed to be fighting in an attempt to recover African dignity in this 21st Century.

In South Africa Thabo Mbeki is ousted following an open frivolous campaign orchestrated by the British Empire... in Ivory Coast after Rwanda and Congo...in Sudan after conflicting interests of the Godfathers civilians are paying the price from their blood, family dispersion, community and environmental destruction.

Until then, until a major an consistent Diaspora public opinion is harnessed by the fierce urgency of now, information and communication with and from any news media is the key to sustaining and shaping that Mandatory Collective Diaspora Response to local African woes... efficiently and with due speed, South Africa, Senegal, Congo, Sudan and other parts of Africa cannot allow or permit the dynamic process of reform to slow down...Actually, you know it or not, enemies of DEMOCRACY operate All in the background of all governments in Africa, they're all Old western colonial emperors and empires who fed slavery in All Ways, Lumumba with Belgium, France in Central/West Africa, South Africa with the British Kings...wishing to expand and sustain their privileges in Old African lands, worse yet to come, when the European Union will be chaired by its former Blair.

Consequently, from the civil society standpoint, the process of fundamental reform and all it that entails, is the first priority, not only among CLEAN politicians, but among all legitimate organisations, columnists, academics, and especially the man in the street are thinking and talking about reform continuously...Media is being guarded pond of the State in most African nations, leading to less freedom of Speech.

And yes we have two choices:
1- Whether we weep for the seemingly saddening, sickening share of Africa, Or
2- We stand the path to networking for a sustainable & prosperous Africa and its people...Advocating the Cause!

Beyond good wills, and grass root initiatives, we have to launch some sorts of Preventive Diplomacy Agenda towards African countries now we're witnessing a contrary trend to this new century turning point... From Any STANDPOINT... the only chance for Africa to unite with its Diaspora and itself...

While I finish these lines a Bob Marley song comes in background: ''There's a natural mystic blowing in the air. If you listen carefully now you will hear."

It's been song, chanted in the churches, prayed for in mosks, foreseen in many dreams... The same way Jews are helping Israel in all ways, Africa will be or will not be following whatever disposition its scattered diaspora will be doing for it. Unfortunately it seems like most are not getting it.