Incommendation

Try Googling: “James Dobson, Jerry Fallwell, Pat Robertson, and Religious Right”. Then click “search within results” for “Bush Administration, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Freedom of the Press, Independent Judiciary, Guantanamo Bay, Intelligence Reform, Prisoner Abuse, Poverty Reduction, Religious Tolerance, US Aid”.

You may be surprised by the results.

Out of millions of documents, you will find virtually none that refer to Guantanamo Bay, Prisoner Abuse, Poverty Reduction, Religious Tolerance, or Intelligence Reform.

On the other hand, you will find hundreds that refer to Bush Administration, Human Rights, Civil Rights, Freedom of the Press, and Independent Judiciary.

But these are almost exclusively devoted to the relationship of these issues to one over-arching subject: SEX.

Thus, the “human and civil rights” citations are about the evils of abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, teen pregnancy, contraception, and kindred issues.

“Freedom of the Press” is reduced to attacking the ‘left-wing bias’ of journalists who disagree with the religious right – and lionizing those who agree.

The “independent judiciary” category is monopolized by Roe v. Wade, Terri Schiavo and other end-of-life issues, opposition to ‘activist’ judges who ‘legislate from the bench’, Darwin vs. Creationism, and embryonic stem cell research, support for Bill Frist and Tom delay, and acclaim for President Bush’s court nominees.

US AID is dominated by scathing criticisms of the family planning, HIV prevention, and sex education programs America funds in poor countries.

And under “Bush Administration”, you will find unquestioning enthusiasm not only for the president’s positions on these issues but, implicitly and explicitly, for virtually every position and action Mr. Bush has ever taken.

So the issues most trumpeted by the so-called religious right are about how we got here, how we reproduce ourselves, how we should die, the kinds of intimate relationships we should and shouldn’t have, who should judge the appropriateness of those relationships – and how our Constitution should be protecting us against the ‘devil’ in our midst.

In other words, by an obsession with reproduction. SEX!

How the religious right got from Calvin to “The Crucible” to Condoms and Terri Schiavo requires a long journey through history. For theological scholars – indeed, for all of us — it is a fascinating and illuminating journey. But we’ll have to save that for another time.

For now, the more relevant questions are: Is this what faith is about? And, if not, where are those people of faith who express alternative views? And why aren’t we hearing their voices?

Well, you may not have noticed, but we are. These voices are not as deafening or as undoubting or as strident as Pat Robertson’s or Jerry Falwell’s or James Dobson’s. But they’re out there. And they’re struggling to be heard over the cacophony of the politically-savvy, exquisitely-organized, Bible-quoting machine of the extreme rightwing of the God-squad.

There are many moderate voices among ‘people of faith’. Perhaps best known is Rev. Jim Wallis, an evangelical Protestant who edits “Soujourners” magazine and is the best-selling author of “God’s Politics”.

Wallis says, “I’ve witnessed a new movement of moderate and progressive religious voices challenging the monologue of the Religious Right. An extremely narrow and aggressively partisan expression of right-wing Republican religion has controlled the debate on faith and politics in the public square for years. But that is no longer true…”The monologue of the Religious Right is finally over, and a new dialogue has begun!”

There are, he says, “visible signs that the Religious Right does not speak for all Christians, even all evangelical Christians. What I hear, from one end of this country to the other, is how tired we are of ideological religion and how hungry we are for prophetic faith.”

Wallis is conservative theologically, yet believes his faith mandates support for progressive policies. “The Bible is full of poor people,” he said. “Biblical politics has the poor at the center.”

Wallis is not alone; many religious groups and conservative Christians oppose the Religious Right — both in politics and in their church hierarchies. For example:

The Interfaith Alliance “is a non-partisan, clergy-led organization dedicated to promoting the positive, healing role of faith in civic life and challenging intolerance and extremism.”

The Rev. Albert Pennybacker, a Lexington, Ky.-based pastor, is head of the Clergy Leadership Network, a cross-denominational group of liberal and moderate religious leaders seeking to counter the influence of the religious right and to mobilize voters to change leadership in Washington. Pennypacker says he is “tired of the conventional wisdom that equates religiosity with conservatism. He says the religious right “often squeezes out the left in public debate”.

Sojourners for Peace and Justice is an evangelical progressive Christian commentary on faith, politics, and culture. Episcopal Bishop John Chane said at a recent Sojourners/Call to Renewal chapel service: “We’ve gone from a war on poverty to a war on the poor.”

The Evangelical Environmental Network is a coalition of Christian groups promoting environmental protection.

A web site by a former Catholic Priest turned Methodist minister, “Christ as a Liberal”, demonstrates a religious/political alternative to the Religious Right.

These are but a few of the so-called “freestyle evangelicals” who are averse to the right wing’s intolerance and lack of charity. Their concerns extend beyond the conservative morality issues of abortion and gay marriage to a broad range of issues – from social justice for the poor to America’s role in the world.

They are beginning to attract sizable audiences. And for at least some politicians, their message is beginning to resonate.

For example, Governor Bob Riley of Alabama proposed a tax increase to help the poor, calling this action his Biblical duty. On CBS News, Gov. Riley said, “we’re supposed to love God, love each other, and help take care of our poor.”

And former US Ambassador to the United Nations John C. Danforth, a former senator and an Episcopal minister, says he does not fault religious conservatives for political action on high-profile issues like the Terri Schiavo case, but that the Republican party has gone so far in adopting a sectarian agenda that it has become the political extension of a religious movement. He warns that, aside from obvious First Amendment issues, the work of government and political leaders is to hold together as one people very diverse nation in which religion can be uniting influence but is more often highly divisive.

Karl Rove notwithstanding, ‘people of faith’ like Jim Wallis and John Danforth may well be triggering a backlash against right wing Christianity. Watch this space!

http://billfisher.blogspot.com

About the author:

William Fisher writes for InterPress News Service. He has managed economic development programs for the US Agency for International Development and the US State Department in the Middle East and elsewhere. He served in the international affairs area in the Kennedy Administration.

Edward Said’s Orientalism can be summed up in three following points: first he talks of the distinction between pure and political knowledge, shows the power relation of any text to political, cultural, intellectual and moral domain; secondly he shows how the methodology used by the West to define and interpreting the Orient is just a part of the process that Orientalises the Orient and how his methodology of “historical generalization” is different from all these previous methodologies; and thirdly he clarifies his position by explaining his ethnic background, scholarly interests, and social circumstances he has experienced as an oriental.

Following Derrida it can be assumed the concept of “Orientalism” or “orient’ a part of a binary oppositions pair, where the occidental forms the other side of this binary oppositional coin. Levis Strauss’ Methodology , if applied to this binary opposition, we reach at the same conclusion as Edward Said, that these two (i.e. the concepts of Orient and Occident; or East and West ) are the two ‘entities’ that ’support and to an extent reflect each other’(p.5). To make it more clear, ‘Orient’ has come to be a part of our consciousness due to the process of categorization by the ‘West’ – i.e. Westerners’ view or presupposition about their identity, made the idea of ‘Orient’ possible. As in a binary pair, one’s presence is defined in terms of the absence of ‘the other’ (i.e. the opposition to it).In case of the Orientalism , (i.e. the discipline that came to front after the completion of this process or the ‘event’, the sense in which Derrida had used the term in his essay Structure, Sign and play in the Discourse of Human sciences) the ‘East’ is defined in terms of the qualifications of the ‘West’. In Said’s words:”European culture gained in strength and identity by setting itself off against the Orient as a sort of surrogate and even under grounded self”.

And this process of establishing the identity of ‘the other’ by creating the identity of the self , is part of the process which said terms in this particular case as being “Orientalized” which means the moment one tries to understand which means the moment one tries to understand culture, history and ideas, one from that moment comes under their direct force. That means when one expresses his interpretation, (which is essentially an work of art) can no longer be external as croce has remarked: ‘A work of art is always internal; and what is called external is no longer a work of art’ (quoted in Rene Wellek’s essay The Fall of Literary history).

That’s why Said has avoided presenting any notion or definition of his subject in his book (i.e. Orientalism) rather he chooses a the path of indirectness, by placing in to the pages the various ideas related to the Orientalism that exist ’spatially and complexly interlinked’ in his mind and are a part of his consciousness which ultimately he refers to as his subject i.e. the “Orientalism” – the “transdental signified”. He is aware that this “transcendental signified” has been a part of the “collective unconscious’ of the west and has been growing since the very time the west is conscious about the ‘other sidedness’ of his existence, on various levels – physical, as well as psychological. This has been since that time of its evolution, has been expressed in various manners making reference to different geographical cultural and ideological difference that exist between the west and the east. To avoid complexity of our interpretation we can simply put this as the fact that due to the ethno-centric attitude of the west there came the relative measurement of various dimensions in the different cultural values, belief systems and this ultimately formed the concept of the “Orient”.

Said also makes this point clear in his introduction : “The orient was Orientalised not only because it was discovered to be oriental in all those ways considered common place by an average nineteenth century European, but also because it could be – that is submitted to being – made oriental”.

This indicates that the very process of distinguishing orient from the occident is itself a process of Orientalising the orient. Said’s use of “historical generalizations” (p.4) – which he announces in his introduction as a different ‘methodological alternative’ also could not able to escape from being taking part in the process of Orientalization.

This haunts Said as in the last lines of the third chapter he confesses that the study of orient involves a continuous process of degredation in knowledge,”If the knowledge of the Orientalism has any meaning, it is in being a reminder of this seductive degradation of knowledge”.And perhaps writing of Orientalism by Said can be seen as the very next added part of this process which he himself indicates in the following line:”Orientalism failed to identify with human experience, failed also to see it as human experience […] if this book has any future use it will be as a modest contribution to that challenge, […] that system of thought like Orientalism , discourse of power , ideological fictions – mind-forg’d manacles – are too easily made, applied , and guarded”. And to which he concludes that the accompanied degradation to this is ‘Now perhaps more than before’ .

That means he himself studies the process of which he is a part of . We need to understand how Said has attempted to describe the process of ‘Orientalising the orient’ by men in the past before him ( of which he becomes a part of , by writing his book , by doing explanations on Orientalism – which is now the aim of our experiment, to understand how the process of his explanation (on Orientalism) has the similarities to the this above mentioned process.

Said uses a new kind of methodology to bring the whole matter related to Orientalism to light. He does so as explains that :

• ‘Orientalism is not an inert fact of nature’– i.e. it is not only related to geographical reality .

• it would be [also] wrong to conclude that the orient was essentially an idea or a creation with no corresponding reality,

He says so because he knows that the geographical sectors as orient and occident are man made, but along with that there is ‘a brute reality’ which is exerted by the idea of orient if they are at all any orient exists in ideas .

The fact that Said’s belief system when comes to front has a centre which alters its meaning and deconstructs it as no particular opposition of the binary pair ‘idea / thing’ or ‘mental dimension/ physical dimension is valid for more than an instance, so the moment he makes a reference to idea associated with the orient he discards the physicality of the orient and vise versa. From such reason we can assume that when an expression on the orient is made it either lies about orient or discard it it is because by ‘lying’ or creating myth about it, one can contribute to its existence, and the moment some expression is made to explain it, it is no more ‘that’ and hence it blows out its existence. Said points to this complexity in his introduction: “One ought never to assume that the structure of Orientalism is nothing more than a structure of lies or myths which, were the truth about them to be told, or simply blow away”!

• What Said has done to solve this problem is that he coined a new methodology which he termed as “representation”.

That means he stresses through his book Orientalism on the aspect of how than whatof Orientalism. He tries to explain how orient is created than what it really is .

He through his historical generalization, moves from Flaubert to Sacy then to Renan and other Orientalists who build their own structures of Orientalism which forms a stack of structures, where no particular structure has while trying to understand the the ‘what’ aspects of Orientalism unconsciously created it .

Thus what the West did in the past to learn on orient created orient. and thus orient became an western invention.

That means that we are , by following Said , in fact starting a process of unlearning about the Orientalism , in order to let orient exist as it is . but the moment we attempt to learn about orient we are in fact from that moment starts off another chain reaction of changes in its existence—which ultimately leads us to no truth as the moment he we understand it , our understanding itself becomes a part of the invention of the orient.

He explains the epistemological aspect and historical aspect of the Orientalism which can be summarized in the following points:

• the first phase of Orientalists were those who saw the rise of the Muslims in the Asian region as a threat to Christianity – during this period the Orient was defined as the geographical regions that was under the control of the so called pagan , barbarous non-Christian races , especially Muslims. They were considered as threats to the West , i.e. the Christian occupied European geography. This can be traced in Chaucer’s writings, Mendellive’s stories.

• the next phase of the Orientalists were those who depending upon the first phase description began to explore these areas. During renaissance the spirit started and this continued for centuries. During this phase many militaristic adventures were made especially by that of Napoleon who planned to conquer the Egypt on both military and cultural ground. This phase continued till the creation of Suez canal and Orientalists like Renan, Sacy and Flaubert gave shape to the idea of Orientalism on the basis of their either experiences in the Orient or the views that they had possessed from their predecessors, which was shaped by the western attempt to define its supremacy over the concept that was termed as the Orient by the first phase definitions.

• the third or the latest phase was brought forward by the process of de-colonization where the modern west men began to emphasize the differences of the Orient from the Occident; east from the West.

After this categorization Said put forward the theory of the ‘power relationship of knowladge’—how all these Orientalists of the three phase while defining the Orient have contributed to the process of the Orientalisation.

This is the power relationship of knowledge in the context of the orient.

• The west tried to find his identity through an opposition to it and named it orient.

• The ethenocentricism of the west made the distinguistions of other cultures from it and labeled all oppositional charactered cultures as oriental cultures.

Different parts of the west thus had diffeent views on orient due to their different geographical locations , which has created their own taste , own customs etc. thus “culectiveconciousness” of one part of the west saw its opposition in a manner , which was perhaps had subordinate place in the list of oppositions made by another part of the west. Thus their own definition of the orient differs .

This is exemplified by Said in the 4th section of the 2nd chapter tiltled as “Pilgrims and pilgrimages, British and French”

Well one may arise the question that if the ethenic values shaped by geographical locations in the west vary from each other , how can it be possible that they did not see each other as oppositions .

To this explanation can be found in the fact which Levis Strauss as well as Derrida terms as scandals . to put it plainly scandals are the characters that belong to the both oppositional sides.

And there in every culture there exists scandals. Due to the most common properties in between them (for instance Christanity) each part of west never saw each other as oppositional representation of it.

Now this makes it clear that there are as many number orients created as the western groups.

And thus orient is a set of imagination, values, ideas, customs, geographical locations which can be seen as the result of many attempts to explain self identity in terms of the other . thus orient was created out of the process of making an orient.

The next phase of Orientalists are those who, following the preconceived orient in their western mind tried to learn about it . Thus they became the part of the creators of the orient. Such phase includes Baudelaine and Sacy etc.

Thus the supposed to be ‘discoverers’ are themselves the inventers of the orient.

And the modern Orientalists who tried to categorise the diffent aspect of the orient became themselves another addition to such inventers.

Thus what we see in above that the process of learning is it self the mode of creation of Orientalism.

This is what Said explains as power relation ship of knowledge i.e. here knowledge exerts its power to build what it is about.

And this is the part of various degree of complex hegemony, which also includes the military and political hegemony f the orient ( in their general accepted meanings).

Another part to understand here is that the power relationship is essentially political here. It is so, because if the creation of orient as a subordinated field or structure can be considered as one of the political dimension of hegemony, then the learning about orient also owns this political dimension.

To make it more clear the moment the concept of Orientalism came to mind of the first westerner, it came as an opposition to his own existence. That makes it clear that we see orient in terms of its oppositional values of the west, i.e. Orient has been explained in terms of west and never the opposite. This ethenocentrism in knowledge about orient can be seen as a political hegemony. And we have no solution to it as we can explain the other of us in terms of what we are not. After that moment any reference made to us will be made only when we believe that the other exists . so , after that even if we are defined in the other’s terms still the underlying causes of the existence of the other is in our terms. So, if one will say that if orient starts to define west as its opposition then also , the existence of the orient is made from in the terms of the west. And hence the knowledge of the orient has its political hegemony intact.

© Samir K. Dash, 2004

About The Author

Samir K. Dash is a UGC-NET qualified, MA (English) from Ravenshaw (auto) College, Cuttack, Orissa (India).

You can contact the author at : samirk_dash@yahoo.com

Home page: www.samirshomepage.zzn.com

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the resource box.

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Summary: If you want to be a successful freelancer, you need to learn the art of the bio.

Category: Writing, Small Business

Words: 1100

Maximizing The Effect Of Your Freelancer’s Bio

Copyright (c) 2003 by Angela Booth

Your freelancer’s bio is a vital job-hunting tool.

While traditional job hunters have CVs and resumes, independent
writers and other independent professionals have biographies,
because as an independent, you’re working *with* your clients as
a consultant, rather than working *for* them as an employee.

Yes, bios, plural. You need at least four bios of various
lengths: 200 words, 100, 50 and 25. Over time, you’ll create
dozens of bios, as you emphasize your various strengths to suit a
situation.

Many writers find it excruciating to write about themselves. If
you feel this way, don’t despair. You will get over this shyness
in time. Until you do, force yourself to write at least three
bios. I promise, after you’ve created your fourth and fifth,
writing a bio will be a breeze.

=>It’s not about you, it’s about them

Self-interest rules. So before you write a word, ask yourself
about the client and the client’s needs. You must approach your
bio from your client’s perspective.

If you’re answering a job ad, this is easy. You know what the
client wants, because she’s told you. Make sure that you slant
your bio towards the requirements expressed in the ad.

Usually you’ll introduce yourself to businesses without a job ad
to guide you. The most effective way to do this is with a mini-
proposal. You send a mini-proposal, because you should never,
ever send out a naked bio; you must have a reason, other than
self-interest, for contacting a business. (More on naked bios
below.)

A mini-proposal is a single page, with:

* a description of a problem (or need) you perceive the business
has;

* an outline of the solution;

* why you’re the person to solve this problem — what skills you
have (your bio).

Mini-proposals are easy to write, and once you’ve written a few,
you should be able to write two an hour.

And because your mini-proposal is focused on your prospect, it
will be kept by the business you send it to. I often receive
calls from companies I sent a mini-proposal to three or more
years ago.

Did you notice how the mini-proposal focused on the client and
the client’s needs? After saying who you are, you talk about the
client, not about you.

That said, you should start your letter or email message with a
very quick statement of who you are. Like this:

Dear Mr Jones

I’m Cindy Cooper, of Cooper Copywriting. I write for business. I
found your Web site, and … (here’s where you describe the
problem or need you think Mr Jones has that you could solve).

After this super-fast introduction, the bulk of the letter/ email
message will be taken up with your outlines of the need the
business has, and your proposed solution. KEEP THE FOCUS ON THE
CLIENT.

Finally, after presenting this information, comes your bio, and
your bio should be no longer than a quarter of the length of the
entire letter. So let’s say that your need/ solution outline
takes 200 words; in this case your bio will be no longer than 50
words.

*Your letter MUST focus on the client and the client’s needs.
Your bio needs to be short in comparison.*

==> Don’t send a naked bio!

I can’t emphasize this enough: keep the focus on the client’s
needs! Don’t send a naked bio – that is, a bio on its own, which
you’ve simply decided to send a business, hoping that the
business will have work for you.

This message in a bottle stuff doesn’t work. Freelancers get into
the habit of whizzing their resumes, CVs and bios to anyone they
think might be remotely interested in hiring them. Then of course
they wonder why there’s no response. THERE’S NO RESPONSE BECAUSE
PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU CAN DO FOR THEM, A BIO OR CV ON ITS
OWN IS NOT ENOUGH.

Yes, I know I’m shouting, but this is important. Never, ever,
send a bio on its own.

=> Your bios’ style

Every book you own has a bio of the author, so take a few books
off your shelves and study the author bios. Most are short.
Novelists’ bios mention the writer’s interests, partner, children
and pets. The bios of non-fiction writers emphasize the writer’s
academic credentials if it’s important to the writer’s
credibility, or the writer’s experience in the field the book
covers.

So what do you emphasize? This is where your bio’s slant comes
in. If you’re sending a mini-proposal, emphasize your
experience/qualifications/ interest in the business’s industry.
See why you need many different bios, and the confidence to crank
them out quickly?

==> HELP! I haven’t got any experience!

Freelance consultants in areas like graphic design, financial
services, and management have employment experience to draw on,
so this plaintive yodel usually comes from freelance writers.

A lack of experience in a specific area worries new freelance
writers, and it shouldn’t. You’re a writer. You can create
SAMPLES of your writing capabilities anytime, to order. Write a
sample, and hey presto, just like magic, you’ve got experience.

I write for several editorial agencies, and often they’ll send
out messages to their stable of writers asking for a 200 word
bio, and a work sample for a particular job. It takes me about an
hour, research included, to crank out a fresh sample.

This is where a Web site or blog (Web log) is important. It gives
you instant credibility, because you can refer people to it to
check out your work samples. And as explained, those work samples
don’t need to be work that you were paid to do.

=> Where to use your bios

Your longest bio, of no more than 200 words, can be posted on
your Web site. You can also use it in a presentation folder, with
a photo, that you give or send to clients. It’s also appropriate
to use this long bio in a media kit.

You can send your 100 word bio to editorial and other agencies,
so that they have some information about you on file.

The 50 word bio is the one you’ll use most. Tack it onto direct
mail letters, and mini-proposals that you send to companies.

Your short 20 word bio is ideal as a signature file — a few
lines that you tack on to the end of your email messages. You
email program will take on your sig automatically; read the Help
file to see how to set one up.

If you haven’t created a bio yet, do it today. Your bios are a
vital freelancing tool.

***Resource box: if using, please include***
Veteran multi-published author and copywriter Angela Booth crafts
words for your business — words to sell, educate or persuade.
E-books and e-courses on Web site. FREE ezines for writers and
small biz: http://www.digital-e.biz/

About the Author

Writer, journalist and author Angela Booth has been writing for print and online venues for over 25 years. She also writes copy for businesses.

I’ll let you in on a secret: I know Santa Claus. And I received a letter from him with his Christmas list.

“Dear Kristin,

“Thank you for the homemade cookies last year. For some reason, people seem to forget that I’m not planning to lose weight, thank you very much. I don’t have a peanut allergy and I’m not lactose intolerant. Up here at the North Pole, we don’t get nonsense like that. But you wouldn’t believe some of the notes I get in lieu of cookies.

“‘Santa, you’re too fat, get real, love Dr. Phil…Dear Santa, you’re in violation of the no-fly zone, signed, the Coalition…Dear Santa, you’re using slave labor and oppressing our elf minorities, peace, the Rev. Jesse Jackson…Dear Santa, you’re cruel to reindeer, sincerely, PETA…Dear Infidel Santa, we shall eliminate you, signed al-Qa’eda.’

“I was never designed to be politically correct. Right jolly old elf and all that. I’m tired of all this nonsense from people who have forgotten what Christmas used to stand for.

“So, here’s my Christmas list. I won’t stop delivering toys, but I will start at least expecting a little something in return after all these years.

“1. Dear al-Qa’eda: I have nothing against Allah. Or Jesus Christ or Buddha or anybody’s God. I dislike murder in the name of religion. I deliver to all the children who you’re going to someday teach to blow themselves up. I deliver love. Your mullahs always say Islam is a religion of love and peace. And for the record, several of my elves are gay. Do I hate them? No.

“2. Dear television news media: Please stop saying ‘Christmas stress.’ You create Christmas stress. Thousands of miracles happen every day from babies being born to people being rescued to children deciding that someone else needs help. And yet you deliberately choose to talk about alcoholism, murder, sex, family quarrels, and above all, endless materialism. Not to mention celebrities. Who elevated these people to all-knowing status? Who cares what Christmas toy they buy or endorse? And please stop criticizing people for having religious beliefs. If the President of the United States can’t express faith in God, there is something wrong with this world. You are only helping those who use religion as an excuse for hatred and greed.

“3. Dear celebrities: Stop making movies where I am the bad guy. There is precious little wonder and innocence in children’s lives. And while you’re at it, stop taking your clothes off and blowing up people in your films. Give me more ‘Seabiscuit.’ Steven Spielberg is always on my nice list. I loved the ‘Shrek’ movies.

“4. Dear advertising executives: Stop using me to sell things that no one uses. We don’t need all this stuff. It’s getting in the way of our family time, our planet’s well-being, our faith and our happiness.

“5. Dear parents: Please stop telling children I don’t exist, that I’m evil, and that it’s not necessary to be good all year because you will buy them what they want. Whatever happened to kindness? To being good just because it makes someone happy? Because it’s the right thing? I can tell you right now that there are quite a few kids, and several of you, who are getting coal in their stockings. It’s tough love, which is what you do when someone’s headed down the wrong road. It’s called parenting and I’ve got millions of your children to help raise. Hey, at least I’m not the government. Or the television. By the way, turn off all those electronic devices and spend time with your families. I know that there are plenty of you out there who would give your right arm to be able to do just that. I love children. And I love all of you too.

“6. Dear Dr. Phil: I’m happy just the way I am. Thank you.

“7. Dear PETA: You’re getting too extreme. My reindeer have better working conditions than in industrialized nations.

“8. Dear Rev. Jesse Jackson: When my elves have the victim consciousness, high teen pregnancy rate, high arrest rate, high drug use rate, and lack of education that your followers have, then I’ll consider emancipating them.

“9. Dear Coalition: God and I were here first. I’m immune from no-fly zones and I don’t play politics. I do however support the military.

“10. Dear Jesus Christ, YHVH, Allah, Buddha, Great Spirit, et al.: Keep up the good work.

“Love, Santa.

“P.S. from Mrs. Claus: Will women please stop trying to be a size 2?”

You better watch out, you better not cry, better not pout…

Copyright Kristin Johnson.

Kristin Johnson is co-author of the “highly recommended” Midwest Book Review pick, Christmas Cookies Are For Giving: Stories, Recipes and Tips for Making Heartwarming Gifts (ISBN: 0-9723473-9-9). A downloadablemedia kit is available at our Web site, www.christmascookiesareforgiving.com, or e-mail the publisher (info@tyrpublishing.com) to receive a printed media kit and sample copy of the book. More articles available at http://www.bakingchristmascookies.com.

kristin@poemsforyou.com

Freelance copywriters are a strange group of people when it comes to running their own businesses.

They are outspoken and enthusiastic while selling their clients’ products and services, but are hopelessly shy and reticent about blowing their own horns.

They grumble and gripe about their clients being disorganized and unfocused, but are terminally disorganized and unfocused themselves.

>> Yes, the situation is awash with irony

The thing I hear most from freelance copywriters is that they feel too shy to promote their own services aggressively.

They won’t make cold calls.

They won’t speak at local business events, at conventions or conferences.

They have never written a direct sales letter to send out to prospective clients.

The result? The result is tens of thousands of dollars in lost revenues.

>> Stranger and stranger…

I would hazard a guess that the majority of freelance copywriters make only a fraction of the money they could.

Their time is spent inefficiently. They work for too long on jobs that pay too little. They fail to replace low-paying clients with high-paying clients. They fail to negotiate higher fees for their work. They never outsource to other writers and make money on the margin. They pay too much tax. They put no money aside. Their cash-flow is horrible. Their promotional efforts are zero. And so on and so on…

It’s a ridiculous situation. Why ridiculous? Because as copywriters we expect to get paid well for the very set of skills we fail to use on our own behalf.

>> Double your income by getting serious about your business

Yes, if you work as a freelance writer, you are running a business. And as a business, you need to take things seriously.

Can you really double your income? Of course you can. Just use your time more efficiently and get more and better-paying clients.

We all know we have too many days when we don’t get as much work done as we should. That’s fine if you want to view yourself as a lone ‘artiste’ struggling with writer’s block. But it won’t cut the mustard if you view what you do as a serious business. Use your time efficiently. Get the work done.

And promote your services. If you are truly too shy to pick up the phone or speak in front of a crowd, at least use your writing skills and create a promotional sales package you can send out to prospective clients.

And here’s the easiest way to double your income: get better clients and negotiate higher fees. In fact, the better the quality of client, the more open they will be to negotiation, and the more they will respect your work.

>> Concluding thoughts…

The first step to doubling your income this year is to change your attitude about your work. Think of yourself as a BUSINESS. You are. And apply all the disciplines that are used when running a business. Aim to make money. Organize your time. Get the job done.

It isn’t so very hard. And the result will be that you’ll make a great deal more money, and will probably enjoy your work a lot more at the same time.

About the Author

Nick Usborne is a freelance writer, author and speaker. For more articles and resources on making money as a freelance writer, visit his site, www.FreelanceWritingSuccess.com. To find out more about doubling your income, read my review of Selling Yourself as a Copywriter.

The Art Of Self Promotion

One of the keys to small business success is the ability to develop, write, edit and design your own marketing material. In order to accomplish this goal a small business owner must learn the essential art of self-promotion. The Internet has opened many doors for small business owners and entrepreneurs to market themselves for little or no cost through online writing and publishing. To take advantage of this easy and affordable marketing opportunity all you need is time to research and skills to help you express yourself. Writing skills can be honed with creativity, planning and practice. Building your skill in this area helps create a more focused marketing campaign and increased confidence in your sales approach. Once focus and confidence are infused into your marketing scheme it can generate more leads, more sales and more exposure to your identified consumers.

Framing A Story

The Internet world is a place where small business entrepreneurs can be published and feature their expertise, problem solving techniques and personal success stories. This can generate networking contacts and qualified leads. Writing a story is like building a home. The most important part of the house is the foundation and the framework. The framework must be strong and solid. The rest of the article is shaped by your individual voice, humor, insight, educational content and clarity. Framing a story is the first step to writing an article that will stand out and catch the audience’s attention. There are three basic frames to consider. Choose carefully according to the marketing goals you have set and the consumer audience you want to attract.

Frame #1 A Chronological Sequence

Framing a story with a chronological sequence is a standard in writing. Simply create a beginning, middle and end. The impression you leave with a reader is largely based on the opening and closing, so be certain these two areas are strong, clear and exciting. A powerful beginning is what catches a reader’s attention. The middle of an article should provide the reader with a reason to continue. This is essential in online writing projects since Internet readers generally have a shorter attention span. The end should cause the reader to remember your name and the information you have provided. Don’t be afraid to take risks! The more original the article content is the more attractive your article will be for potential customers. Summarize your article in the beginning and end with fresh perspectives and angles. Don’t be too repetitive and make sure your article includes something the reader can take away.

Frame #2 Cinematic Appeal

In this framework you write the article as if it is a film. Be creative and use the voice of a narrator to set the scenes visually for the reader. Use descriptive language and reach out for all of the reader’s senses. The reader must imagine this framework unfolding on screen. They must smell, touch, taste, hear, and especially feel what you are saying. Write to make an emotional connection or make the audience stand in someone else’s shoes. This will capture the reader’s imagination and create a relationship between the reader and the subject. They will walk away feeling as if they have just had an experience instead of just a good read. This is the framework that can be used to teach someone about another place or another culture. This will also arouse interest in the subject you are writing about. It can increase awareness and stir up passion.

Frame #3 Talking to a Loved One

This framework is handled as if you are telling a story to your mother or your best friend. It must be simple, open, and honest. The reader should feel as though they know you. An article framed in this way is perfect for telling your own personal story and sharing who you really are. It can create a feeling of intimacy and works best if you show some vulnerability and sensitivity. Comfort, familiarity and flow should emerge. This writing style is like giving a gift or letting someone in, trust is vital. When you speak to a close friend or relative you learn things about yourself. While framing the story in this manner you make the reader feel they are learning a lesson as well.

Believe In Your Own Abilities

Writing is an ability anyone can cultivate. It simply takes the practice, time and creativity. These are the same tools necessary to market yourself and your company well.
Intentionally choose which voice will best reach your target audience. Know exactly what type of writing the online publication or web site is looking for. Most web sites, e-zines and online publications offer writer’s guidelines for review. Let another friend or family member hear the story. Read it out loud or give them a copy to look over. A second set of eyes is the best way to edit or critique the work. If necessary, hire a professional writer to ghost write if you don’t have time. A well-written article can boost your reputation and credibility.

About the Author

Sarah Benoit is co-owner of Sidhe Communications in Asheville, North Carolina. She specializes in business writing, market research and event planning and promotion. Ms. Benoit also participates in local business support, art, performance and metaphysical studies projects.

While wedding toasts are very common, it can be difficult to give a great toast if you’ve never done it before. Sure, you see the movies where toasts are spoken as if they are poetry, seemingly with no forethought or effort. You might find it difficult to do this, which is why you should give a toast like the famous.

Be prepared! Even mega stars such as George Clooney who just found out he will be hosting Brad and Angelina’s wedding come prepared. Sure, he is the typical alpha male that seems relaxed and ready for anything, but do not kid yourself into believing that he will be able to host the wedding and give a toast without some planning! There will be plenty of people at Brad and Angelina’s wedding as well as any other upcoming celebrity wedding that will have had some help in writing their toast for the famous couple!

Do Some Research

Search your library or even the Internet for some great quotes on weddings to sort of incorporate into your speech. You don’t have to do something overly tacky or sentimental if that is not your personality, but there are some great sentiments that can help you express your thoughts, feelings, and happiness for the new couple. Most famous people have toasts and speeches prepared for them, and when you do some research you are basically using something old or something you’ve found elsewhere to really help you say what you need to say in an elegant way! Unfortunately, most of us do not have script writers on hand to help us write a toast, so the best thing you can do is look up some great toasts that have been used in history.

Use What You Know

If you know that the couple really likes a certain poet, look at some of the poems by the poet, and see if you can’t somehow incorporate a line or a thought of the poet. This is what many famous people do because it shows that they really thought about the couple when planning their toast, instead of just writing something really generic. Using what you know is always the best idea, and if you don’t know much, well then you just have to sort of wing it, but using sayings from history or from famous authors or other celebrities is a great idea. It’s very hard to find actual celebrity wedding toasts that have been used in the past because these things are usually kept private, but look for sayings on love, marriage, and living a happy, healthy life.

Some Ideas

A couple of ideas are written below to help you start thinking in the right direction. Remember that toasts usually are a bit silly, so get in the right frame of mind, and start planning how you will give your celebrity-esque toast! Below are two commonly used toasts that have undoubtedly been used for celebrities past and present.

Idea #1: Coming together is a beginning; keeping together is progress; working together is success.

Idea #2: Seek a happy marriage with wholeness of heart, but do not expect to reach the Promised Land without going through some wilderness together.

These ideas should give you some idea of what you are aiming for. Remember that even the most practiced celebrity plans for any and all public appearances and speaking, so plan for yours to make sure that your thoughts come out as well thought out as they should be!

Written by James Nardel, expert author at www.EasyWeddingToasts.com. For more information on wedding toasts and wedding speeches and toasting tips visit www.easyweddingtoasts.com

Congratulations on your engagement! Now it’s time to start planning your dream wedding. This can be a very daunting task, but not to worry, there are tons of resources available to help you plan everything from the initial preparations to the wedding itself and even life after the wedding.

The importance of staying organized cannot be overlooked. Planning worksheets, online resources, and a good old fashioned notebook or binder go a long way in keeping the integral details of your wedding neat and in order to avoid any unnecessary panic or worry as your big day approaches.

It is best to determine the wedding budget right from the beginning. There are many costs to consider when planning a wedding, so it is wise to sit down and discuss the financial impact of the celebration before making any definite plans. Deciding how much the bride and groom have to spend and how much assistance, if any, the couple will receive from family will immediately play a key role in determining the wedding budget.

Many wise couples do not wish to go into debt for their wedding. Financial experts advise against unlimited spending, knowing it is better to start a marriage without needless liabilities. It is easy to fall into either one of two traps: expecting more monetary wedding gifts than actually received and under-budgeting for wedding and honeymoon expenses. Keep in mind that this is your one special day, but a beautiful, personalized and meaningful wedding can be planned on any budget. Be sure to be realistic about expenses, realizing that a lower price may mean a lower quality of service, but savvy negotiations can yield opportunities once thought to be out of reach. Careful itemization of each expense will make the wedding budget a success, and securing estimated prices with a contract for each service will help keep you within your budget.

When budgeting, it is essential to determine who will be paying for what. The traditional guideline of financial responsibilities can be used as a starting point, but keep in mind that many couples are financially independent and may wish to pay for the entire event out of their own pockets. And the guideline is just that; a starting place for your perusal. However you end up breaking down the budget and financial responsibilities must work with your own situation and need not follow any ‘rules’. Remember that no matter what financial assistance is offered, the wedding is ultimately the couple’s financial responsibility.

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com
Planning a Wedding? Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP’s, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel.

I’ve had a couple times in teaching a lesson in church that I strongly (STRONGLY, STRONGLY) wanted to impress on any single people in the class the importance of “marrying well”. Here’s a little about what that means to me.

“Marrying Well” doesn’t mean marrying for money. And it doesn’t mean to marry for looks – although that is a nice bonus. It is more about marrying a person who you are well matched to, who has the qualities and characteristics that are so important to have – day in and day out.

START WITH A PRINCESS
It has been said that a man’s home is his castle, and his wife is his Queen. Well, I guess if you’re looking for a queen, you should start with a princess. What are the qualities should you look for in your princess?

GRACE
Marry a person who can be the queen of a kingdom with you. A person with poise and class. Someone who carries herself well, and honors the dignity of herself and others.

INTELLIGENCE
Someone you can talk with about important things. Someone you can learn things from, and learn things with. Someone who can shed insights that change your perspective.
(and sometimes men need to be smart enough to allow the change in perspective)

BEAUTY
The kind of beauty that doesn’t need makeup. The kind of beauty that is always there – just in their essence and being. The kind that looks good by a mountain lake, or at a fancy restaurant, or while playing games on family game night, on the couch next to you watching a video, or while going through the hardest parts of labor, or when entertaining guests, when comforting a sick child, or during a tickle fight, or while holding your baby (especially while holding your baby), or when they’re asleep – nestled up to you while you have your arm around them. A person who has a beauty about her when they just don’t feel that beautiful.

KINDNESS
Someone who, by nature – thinks the best of people. Someone who hates to argue. Someone who doesn’t take the cheap shot during an arguement. (Which means also that YOU don’t do that either).

WORKER
Building a kingdom, a home, a family, a marriage, a life – is hard work. It doesn’t just come easily. You need to be able to work together as a team to accomplish great things. There can be many stages in a marriage where roles are required to change, or where primary responsibility for certain tasks switches back and forth. This requires flexibility, and the ability to work well as a team, with focus on each other’s needs instead of on your own.

OPTIMIST
We have enough pessimists in the world! And life will give you plenty of things to be negative about. But an optimist is able to SEE all the good things that go on around, and doesn’t see things as darkly, even when they are pretty dark.

An optimist is a sole source of sunshine that is good to be around. They make everyone feel better about themselves, and better about life in general.

You will see what you are looking for. If you are always looking for the worst – you’ll find it. If you look for the best in people and in events – you’ll find it.

LOVES TO LAUGH
Able to see humor in almost everything. A person who has a glad heart by nature. A person who will laugh at your dumb jokes, and even make a few of her own. Someone with whom you can build a lifetime of “inside jokes”. Someone who is able to laugh at her self. Someone comfortable enough with you to know she can laugh at your dumb mistakes, and know that you’ll laugh with her.

FLEXIBLE / ADAPTABLE
Plan your work and work your plan! BUT – be able to adapt and change that plan when the plan is no longer working for you. The only constant in life is change – and so being able to adapt to a new situation on-the-fly makes everything go smoother and easier. What a wonderful blessing is someone who can take change in stride, moving forward to see what the new experiences will bring, instead of dwelling on what went wrong and what should have been. Many times, my experience has been that the new “plan” turned out better than the old plan ever would have.

PROBLEM SOLVER
Going hand-in-hand with being an optimist and flexible is being a problem solver. There are plenty of people standing on the sidelines OBSERVING, who are willing to tell you what you did wrong, but how great is the person who can think on their feet, give options and solutions, and get in there and work with you to put a new solution into action.

LOVER
A lover of life, of being together, of family and friends, of things that are imporant to her, and things that are important to you. Passionate about things that are important to her. Someone who loves with their whole heart and soul.

A CHEERLEADER
The world is going to kick you in the teeth sometimes. At those times you need someone who helps to buoy you up, get you rested, and get you ready to get out there and fight – not someone who sees their chance to get in a few licks of their own.

TESTIMONY
The prayer of the righteous availeth much. And the prayer of a righteous woman….. I believe that a righteous woman has God’s ear. I have directly seen the blessings to myself and my family from the prayers of a righteous woman.

Of course, your testimony is vitally important too. It is not good to be unequally yolked. And the power that comes from a strong testimony is more than doubled when you both nurture your testimonies together.

UNDERSTANDING
Someone who understands your quirks (and loves your for them, and in spite of them).

In order to FIND the right person, you need to BE THE RIGHT PERSON

I’ve listed out many of my thoughts of what to look for in marrying well. If the person you are seeking HAS many of these qualities – she will probably be LOOKING FOR THESE QUALITIES. If she IS intelligent, and you don’t have enough of the right qualities, she’ll be smart to continue looking elsewhere.

Well – those are my thoughts on Marrying Well. Good luck on your pursuits for happiness, and don’t be discouraged. Even though the very best woman in the world is already taken by me, there are still some great women out there.

Good Luck and Choose Wisely!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
GimmeMyDomains.com – Home of the $8 .COM, dedicated to providing Cheap Domains to the People! http://www.GimmeMyDomains.com
Find Emergency Preparedness tips, links, articles etc. at http://www.Rogmo.com

I have been to many incredible weddings in my time. But the celebrations that I remember the most are the ones that include the character and interests of the groom, not just the bride. After all, we are invited to take part in these special days to celebrate the union of two people. Why wouldn’t it be a good idea to include things that show the groom’s interests and passions, just as much as the brides?

You may ask how you can include rugged pastimes, guitars, or sports into your wedding day and still retain class. There are many ways to do this and have a lot of fun in the process. I am going to share stories of two weddings that I have attended and absolutely loved. With both of these weddings, could clearly see and feel that you were there for the couple, not just a day for the bride to feel like a princess.

The first was September 28th, 2002. I remember the date well because it was for a friend of mine that I’ve known since kindergarten. It was an incredible Fall afternoon in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. The trees were bursting with deep shades of red, gold, purple and orange. The directions were specific until they stated “Once you reach the foothills of Horse Valley, make a right onto the wooden bridge and continue for three miles down the dirt road.” We ended up at the Groom’s Grandfather’s cabin in the woods, the wedding was held in a pavilion that was next to the house. It sat on the edge of a huge lake that had mountains rising on the opposite side that looked as though they were painted in Autumn hues. It was breathtaking!

At 6:10pm, the groom’s mother came and made an announcement to the 70 guests, that they were about to start. We all took our seats on wooden benches that were lined up along two very wide and deep steps that lead you from the pavilion to a large landing overlooking the lake.

To our surprise, the Bride was the first to appear with her Maid of Honor. They walked down from the cabin and onto the landing and waited in front of the incredible backdrop of the mountains. For a few minutes I was a little confused. Where was the groom? Then all of a sudden, way on the other side of the lake, you could see two people in a canoe. It took them a few minutes before they were close enough to see who they were, but sure enough, it was the Groom and his Best Man!! They docked the boat in the sand next to us and walked up, he kissed her on the cheek, and the ceremony began. It was the most romantic thing I had ever witnessed.

The second was for two very dear friends of mine, he is a drummer and she is an artist. They had a very small, simple and relaxed wedding in St. Lucia, a beautiful little island in the West Indies. Sixteen of us joined them in their celebration on an incredibly beautiful, breezy day on a cozy resort called Villa Beach Cottages. All of the guests stayed together in a small cluster of cottages on the beach, on the afternoon of the wedding, we met by the pool near a pretty white gazebo. Steel drums rang out lots of fun tunes as we waited for the Bride and Groom to arrive. About fifteen minutes before the ceremony, the Groom came out, he dawned a very casual, white linen shirt and khaki slacks, no shoes! He joined us for a fruity cocktail, Sea Breezes to be exact, and a few laughs before tying the knot.

When the ceremony started, we all gathered around a pretty ribbon that laid on the ground in a circle in front of the gazebo. The Bride came out with her father in a very simple and airy, strapless white dress that was accented with Swarovski Crystals, and of course, no shoes! She was carrying the most incredible Swarovski Crystal Bouquet. She looked absolutely stunning because in the sun, the crystals made hundreds of rainbows that shined off of her and everything around her. She also wore a Swarovski Crystal Tiara that seemed to twinkle on top of her head. As she reached her place next to the Groom, we were instructed by the officiant to pick up the ribbon so that we made a ring that started with the Maid of Honor and ended with the Best Man. As the ceremony was proceeding, we passed their rings along the ribbon and blessed them with good tidings for the soon-to-be newlyweds. It was so nice because we all felt that we really got to be a part of their special day.

After the ceremony, there were more steel drums with a couple of hours of cocktails and a beach barbeque. We chatted, danced, hung out in the sand, and ate incredible food as the sun set over the ocean. It was great because there were no annoying photographers trying to capture cheesy “moments to cherish”, he left after the ceremony and we were the photographers for the reception. We were free to have fun in whatever way we pleased! After the sun went down, they had lit candles in white paper bags that were scattered all over the beach. And since they had rented the whole resort, we weren’t on any time constraints, some guests were on the beach until dawn. It was truly a blast!!

For the next two days we all stayed on the island and the owner of the resort, a friendly Jamaican man, gave us suggestions of what to do on the island, “It’s all about the experience” he continually told us. Some of us explored caves, some went sea turtle watching or shopping at the small markets, while others decided to relax by the pool or on the beach at the resort. At the end of the long weekend, the Newlyweds saw us off and headed to the south of the island for their honeymoon. It was an incredible trip and one that I’m sure that I will never forget.

The point of my article is to show how incredible a wedding can be if you consider the tastes and interests of the couple, not just the bride. In so many weddings, the Groom is left in the shadows while the Bride takes most of the glory. And let’s face it, there wouldn’t be a wedding without him.

Best Wishes, and Happy Planning, and most important, Have Fun!

Penny Olson is the owner and designer for Brilliant Wedding Jewelry
Make your day sparkle with Swarovski Crystal Bouquets! Add crystal accents yourself with Swarovski Crystal Stems.