I stumbled across this poem from Veronica Hay yesterday, and really wanted to share it with you today.
It's called... "What Do Angels Look Like?"
* * *
Like the little old lady who returned your wallet yesterday.
Like the taxi driver who told you that your eyes light up the world, when you smile.
Like the small child who showed you the wonder in simple things.
Like the poor man who offered to share his lunch with you.
Like the rich man who showed you that it really is all possible, if only you believe.
Like the stranger who just happened to come along, when you had lost your way.
Like the friend who touched your heart, when you didn't think you had one to touch.
Angels come in all sizes and shapes, all ages and skin types.
Some with freckles, some with dimples, some with wrinkles, some without.
They come disguised as friends, enemies, teachers, students, spouses and fools.
They don't take life too seriously, they travel light.
They leave no forwarding address, they ask nothing in return.
They wear sneakers with gossamer wings, they get a deal on dry cleaning.
They are hard to find when your eyes are closed,
But they are everywhere you look, when you choose to see.
* * *
Do you think your life is without angels right now?
And are you SURE?
I used to love watching City of Angels. I'd cry all the time
How many Angels will you meet in your life today?
Remember... Magic happens everywhere.
Have a fantastic Boxing Day! :)
(PS. Ever wondered why they called Boxing Day... Boxing Day? Click here to find out.)
Dec 26, 2006
Dec 25, 2006
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
My dear friends...
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Froehliche Weihnachten! Mele Kalikimaka! Sung Tan Chuk Ha! God Jul! Feliz Navidad! Nadolig Llawen! Feliz Natal! Buone Feste Natalizie! Joyeux Noel!
Yes, there are many ways to say Christmas.
And what does it all really mean?
Well -- to me, at least -- Christmas means LOVE.
Dale Evans said it best with:
"Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."
Bob Hope backed her up, with:
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
Today, many hundreds of thousands of individuals across our great blue planet are celebrating. It's a great feeling.
And why should it stop here?
Speaking through the mouth of character Scrooge, Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol:
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
And if Scrooge can do it, everyone can!
Remember this moment... and let's keep the love alive!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
MERRY CHRISTMAS!!
Froehliche Weihnachten! Mele Kalikimaka! Sung Tan Chuk Ha! God Jul! Feliz Navidad! Nadolig Llawen! Feliz Natal! Buone Feste Natalizie! Joyeux Noel!
Yes, there are many ways to say Christmas.
And what does it all really mean?
Well -- to me, at least -- Christmas means LOVE.
Dale Evans said it best with:
"Every time we love, every time we give, it's Christmas."
Bob Hope backed her up, with:
"My idea of Christmas, whether old-fashioned or modern, is very simple: loving others. Come to think of it, why do we have to wait for Christmas to do that?"
Today, many hundreds of thousands of individuals across our great blue planet are celebrating. It's a great feeling.
And why should it stop here?
Speaking through the mouth of character Scrooge, Charles Dickens wrote in A Christmas Carol:
"I will honour Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year."
And if Scrooge can do it, everyone can!
Remember this moment... and let's keep the love alive!
MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL!
Dec 24, 2006
It's CHRISTMAS EVE!!
Ladies and Gentleman...
It's CHRISTMAS EVE!!
No matter where you live in the world, and no matter how you celebrate this time of the year, I'd like to offer you my very deepest, warmest wishes for the season.
And I'd like to brighten your day with a something interesting something that by-passes the brain and goes straight to the heart. Seeing The Dash movie for the first time had that effect on me.
Wishing You hope,peace and happiness at Christmas and Always
Do Something Different!
It was apparently Anthony Robbins that came out with this little
gem..."If you do what you've always done,you'll get what you've always
gotten"And isn't that the truth?If you continue to do the exact same
things you've done over the past year, you can't expect anything to
change in 2007.And are you looking for change, or improvement?Maybe you
are. And very possibly, you're not.But if you ARE, then maybe it's
about time to sit back and seriously think about what you'd like to
change in the coming year -- and plot out the next 12 months worth of
steps that will take you there.Anthony Robbins also said..."You are now
at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important
decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who
have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have
been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this
decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully."So... Who
are you now?What would you become, if only you could?And... Why
not?Think about it. It might just change your life.
gem..."If you do what you've always done,you'll get what you've always
gotten"And isn't that the truth?If you continue to do the exact same
things you've done over the past year, you can't expect anything to
change in 2007.And are you looking for change, or improvement?Maybe you
are. And very possibly, you're not.But if you ARE, then maybe it's
about time to sit back and seriously think about what you'd like to
change in the coming year -- and plot out the next 12 months worth of
steps that will take you there.Anthony Robbins also said..."You are now
at a crossroads. This is your opportunity to make the most important
decision you will ever make. Forget your past. Who are you now? Who
have you decided you really are now? Don't think about who you have
been. Who are you now? Who have you decided to become? Make this
decision consciously. Make it carefully. Make it powerfully."So... Who
are you now?What would you become, if only you could?And... Why
not?Think about it. It might just change your life.
Dec 22, 2006
Wealth, Success and Love
A woman came out of her house and saw three old men with long
white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize
them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry.
Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No," she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in," they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a
House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said
pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one,
"He is Success, and I am Love."
Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one
of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband
was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case,
let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with
wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the
house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be
better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to
his wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and
asked the three old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come
in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two
also got up and followed him.
Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited
Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or
Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you
invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is
Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!
-- Author Unknown
=================================================================
white beards sitting in her front yard. She did not recognize
them. She said "I don't think I know you, but you must be hungry.
Please come in and have something to eat."
"Is the man of the house home?", they asked.
"No," she said. "He's out."
"Then we cannot come in," they replied.
In the evening when her husband came home, she told him what had
happened.
"Go tell them I am home and invite them in!"
The woman went out and invited the men in. "We do not go into a
House together," they replied. "Why is that?" she wanted to know.
One of the old men explained: "His name is Wealth," he said
pointing to one of his friends, and said pointing to another one,
"He is Success, and I am Love."
Then he added, "Now go in and discuss with your husband which one
of us you want in your home."
The woman went in and told her husband what was said. Her husband
was overjoyed. "How nice!!", he said. "Since that is the case,
let us invite Wealth. Let him come and fill our home with
wealth!"
His wife disagreed. "My dear, why don't we invite Success?"
Their daughter-in-law was listening from the other corner of the
house. She jumped in with her own suggestion: "Would it not be
better to invite Love? Our home will then be filled with love!"
"Let us heed our daughter-in-law's advice," said the husband to
his wife.
"Go out and invite Love to be our guest." The woman went out and
asked the three old men, "Which one of you is Love? Please come
in and be our guest."
Love got up and started walking toward the house. The other two
also got up and followed him.
Surprised, the lady asked Wealth and Success: "I only invited
Love, Why are you coming in?"
The old men replied together: "If you had invited Wealth or
Success, the other two of us would've stayed out, but since you
invited Love, wherever He goes, we go with him. Wherever there is
Love, there is also Wealth and Success!!!
-- Author Unknown
=================================================================
Dec 13, 2006
Start With Yourself
=================================================================
=================================================================
The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican
bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:
When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I
dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I
discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights
somewhat and decided to change only my country.
But it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but
alas, they would have none of it.
And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize If I had only
changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my
family.
From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been
able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed
the world.
-- Author Unknown
=================================================================
The following words were written on the tomb of an Anglican
bishop in the crypts of Westminster Abbey:
When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I
dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser, I
discovered the world would not change, so I shortened my sights
somewhat and decided to change only my country.
But it too seemed immovable.
As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt,
I settled for changing only family, those closest to me, but
alas, they would have none of it.
And now as I lay on my deathbed, I suddenly realize If I had only
changed myself first, then by example I would have changed my
family.
From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been
able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed
the world.
-- Author Unknown
Dec 11, 2006
Quote of the Day
"Every moment of your life is infinitely creative and the universe
is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request,
and everything your heart desires must come to you." Mahatma Gandhi
is endlessly bountiful. Just put forth a clear enough request,
and everything your heart desires must come to you." Mahatma Gandhi
Dec 7, 2006
New Home Based Business, Mega Wealth Group Launches Prosperity Int.
Prosperity International
St. Louis, MO, December 06, 2006 The Mega Wealthy Group will represent Prosperity International suites of personal development and wealth creation products along with a marketing program, which includes a turn-key marketing portal that comes complete with its own marketing and sales force.
These educational, motivational and inspirational products and services fulfill the demand of millions of consumers, are comprehensive in scope, and can be easily accessed all in one place. By design, Prosperity International offers a complete guide to success for every aspect of life including wealth creation, personal development, investment, real estate, business building & wealth management.
"Ultimate Wealth & Prosperity" is Prosperity International’s flagship product that includes:
The Prosperity Platinum™ Package:
- The ultimate collection of World Class wealth creation, personal development & life changing products - delivered direct to your door by express courier.
The Prosperity Online Webucational Package:
- An amazing range of instantly downloadable motivational & inspirational Ebooks & audio MP3's titles.
The Live Prosperity Teleseminar™ Package:
- Live & Exclusive Monthly Prosperity Teleseminars - featuring the World's leading teachers & trainers. (Scheduled for launch early 2007).
The Prosperity Live Event Package:
- Exclusive Live 1, 2 & 3-day events, hosted by the World's leading teachers & trainers, and covering the full spectrum of wealth creation, visualization, wealth attraction and asset protection.
In addition, Prosperity International provides access to live Prosperity Teleseminars™, Live Prosperity Events™, and complete learning systems from some of the world's leading experts, teachers & trainers – including Donald Trump, Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor, Denis Waitley, Dolf de Roos, Steven K. Scott, James Ray, Brian Tracy, Deepak Chopra, Dan Kennedy, Ted Nicholas, Corey Rudl, Robert Allen, Mark Victor Hanson and many more.
With regard to marketing prospects, Prosperity International provides professionally designed, personalized Prosperity websites, including a back office containing all necessary business building tools, personalized promo materials, help videos, and a fully configured auto responder follow-up system. Training, customer support and assistance is available 24 by 7.
Prosperity International’s Prosperity Co-op Advertising Center provides a selection of effective marketing options and channels that best match available marketing budgets for maximum returns. Co-op advertising programs will soon be available for radio campaigns, select radio show sponsorship, TV and satellite campaigns, select TV and satellite show sponsorships, offline print ads, direct mail campaigns, TV infomercials and banner ad campaigns.
In addition, the Prosperity Co-op Advertising Center provides Prosperity marketing prospects the opportunity to purchase a share in one or more high-impact, and high-exposure marketing campaigns at a fraction of the cost.
Unlike so many web based, or work at home franchise businesses, Prosperity International’s web site marketing system allows prospects to make purchases without ever speaking to anyone if they choose. Prospects can call a 24/7 call center, call Business Advisors and attend daily Prosperity Lifestyle Conference calls to hear all about the unique Prosperity International opportunity.
For more information contact Mega Wealth at Tel: 702-284-5885
###
These educational, motivational and inspirational products and services fulfill the demand of millions of consumers, are comprehensive in scope, and can be easily accessed all in one place. By design, Prosperity International offers a complete guide to success for every aspect of life including wealth creation, personal development, investment, real estate, business building & wealth management.
"Ultimate Wealth & Prosperity" is Prosperity International’s flagship product that includes:
The Prosperity Platinum™ Package:
- The ultimate collection of World Class wealth creation, personal development & life changing products - delivered direct to your door by express courier.
The Prosperity Online Webucational Package:
- An amazing range of instantly downloadable motivational & inspirational Ebooks & audio MP3's titles.
The Live Prosperity Teleseminar™ Package:
- Live & Exclusive Monthly Prosperity Teleseminars - featuring the World's leading teachers & trainers. (Scheduled for launch early 2007).
The Prosperity Live Event Package:
- Exclusive Live 1, 2 & 3-day events, hosted by the World's leading teachers & trainers, and covering the full spectrum of wealth creation, visualization, wealth attraction and asset protection.
In addition, Prosperity International provides access to live Prosperity Teleseminars™, Live Prosperity Events™, and complete learning systems from some of the world's leading experts, teachers & trainers – including Donald Trump, Zig Ziglar, Bob Proctor, Denis Waitley, Dolf de Roos, Steven K. Scott, James Ray, Brian Tracy, Deepak Chopra, Dan Kennedy, Ted Nicholas, Corey Rudl, Robert Allen, Mark Victor Hanson and many more.
With regard to marketing prospects, Prosperity International provides professionally designed, personalized Prosperity websites, including a back office containing all necessary business building tools, personalized promo materials, help videos, and a fully configured auto responder follow-up system. Training, customer support and assistance is available 24 by 7.
Prosperity International’s Prosperity Co-op Advertising Center provides a selection of effective marketing options and channels that best match available marketing budgets for maximum returns. Co-op advertising programs will soon be available for radio campaigns, select radio show sponsorship, TV and satellite campaigns, select TV and satellite show sponsorships, offline print ads, direct mail campaigns, TV infomercials and banner ad campaigns.
In addition, the Prosperity Co-op Advertising Center provides Prosperity marketing prospects the opportunity to purchase a share in one or more high-impact, and high-exposure marketing campaigns at a fraction of the cost.
Unlike so many web based, or work at home franchise businesses, Prosperity International’s web site marketing system allows prospects to make purchases without ever speaking to anyone if they choose. Prospects can call a 24/7 call center, call Business Advisors and attend daily Prosperity Lifestyle Conference calls to hear all about the unique Prosperity International opportunity.
For more information contact Mega Wealth at Tel: 702-284-5885
###
| Contact Information |
| Temenuzhka Draganova (44) 2082001378 office@wealthandsecure.com http://www.wealthandsecure.com |
Dec 6, 2006
"Why Gratitude is the Key to Getting Anything You Want"
============================================================
1. "Why Gratitude is the Key to Getting Anything You Want"
- by Jeff Staniforth
============================================================
When it comes to worldly affairs, the saying, "Seeing is
believing" reigns supreme.
When you *see* someone accomplish something, you start to
*believe* in that person's ability. If a product delivers
what it promises, you then believe that it works. When you
see a "formula" yield positive results, you begin to believe
in it.
Evidence is essential in order for people to believe. This
has led to the saying, "I'll believe it when I see it." The
proof is in the pudding.
But in spiritual affairs, the opposite is true. "Believing
is seeing." If you believe first, you will see that thing
that you believe in manifest itself in front of your very
eyes. That's a testament to the awesome power of belief.
This has led to another saying: "I'll see it when I believe
it."
However, for most people, believing *is* the problem.
That's why most people who lack conviction when they recite
affirmations, for instance, are missing the secret
ingredient that's necessary to materialize their dreams.
If you've ever encountered some internal resistance when you
first read or speak a positive affirmation, that's an
indication that you're not really believing what you're
saying. For example, how can you really believe the
affirmation, "I am perfectly healthy in body, mind and
spirit" when outer appearances point to the contrary (e.g.,
you're sick or in pain)?
An important part of believing is to feel "as if it has
already happened." I have found that one of the best ways
to evoke that feeling is to express *gratitude* after you
recite an affirmation.
Just saying the words, "Thank you" after you state your
affirmation reinforces the belief that the universe (or God,
or your Creator, or whatever name you call the Supreme
Being) has already set about the fulfillment of your desire.
You may not see your affirmed desire fully manifested yet at
the present time, but expressing thanks makes you believe
that what you've asked for is already done. Thereafter, you
have a sense of expectancy that what you desire will
eventually come to fruition.
If there was ever a "formula" for manifesting desires, this
is it. Ancient spiritual manuscripts, including the Bible,
emphasize that a single-minded belief is essential in
receiving what you ask for. They also warn against double-
mindedness. Know with absolute and unwavering certainty
that what you are affirming is already yours. "If you can
believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
So believe that it's already done by simply saying "Thank
you" or assuming an attitude of gratitude after affirming
what you want. I once heard a wonderful quotation from an
anonymous author that says it profoundly: "We can start
with who we are and what we have today, apply gratitude,
then let it work it's magic. Say thank you, until you mean
it. If you say it long enough, you will believe it. Today
will shine the transforming light of gratitude on all the
circumstances of my life."
============================================================
2. QUOTE OF THE DAY: "There is no better opportunity to
receive more than to be thankful for what you already have.
Thanksgiving opens the windows of opportunity for ideas to
flow your way."
--Zig Ziglar
Nov 28, 2006
Inner Power
Inner Power (God, Krishna, Christ Consciousness, Buddha, Higher Self, I Am, Cosmic Intelligence, Spirit)
Within each one of us there is an infinitely higher power. We may call it God, Krishna, Christ Consciousness, Buddha, Higher Self, I Am, Cosmic Intelligence, Spirit, or any other name we feel comfortable with.
This inner source of knowing, and of joy, has a transformational effect upon our entire being. Once embraced as a loving partner the ensuing bond brings forth growth, understanding, help and guidance.
Once we experience this kind and gentle presence, this feeling of returning, we shall know the true meaning of bliss - 'A sense of oneness that calls forth reciprocal love and joy between us and everyone we encounter.'
Within each one of us there is an infinitely higher power. We may call it God, Krishna, Christ Consciousness, Buddha, Higher Self, I Am, Cosmic Intelligence, Spirit, or any other name we feel comfortable with.
This inner source of knowing, and of joy, has a transformational effect upon our entire being. Once embraced as a loving partner the ensuing bond brings forth growth, understanding, help and guidance.
Once we experience this kind and gentle presence, this feeling of returning, we shall know the true meaning of bliss - 'A sense of oneness that calls forth reciprocal love and joy between us and everyone we encounter.'
Nov 27, 2006
A singular sensation
San Francisco Chronicle
A singular sensation
YouTube, MySpace leading the 'look at me' movement
Jessica Clark
Americans are hams. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The country's motto should be "look at me, look at me!"
It's too easy to dismiss such behavior as exhibitionism or acting out. Large swaths of the populace feel nonexistent without an audience.
This tendency to seek attention has accelerated with the recent explosion of social networking and video sharing Web sites. Ostensibly, these sites help us to connect with friends, families and the like-minded, but their names belie this. On MySpace and YouTube, making friends is secondary to generating a virtual fan base, an online altar to yourself.
Why has this compulsion to see and be seen overtaken so many of us? Anthropologist Thomas de Zengotita explores this question in his 2005 book "Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It." Although he finished the book months before YouTube was unveiled in February 2005, his analysis couldn't be more on point.
For those of you not keyed into YouTube, the site -- which allows visitors to upload, categorize and rate video clips -- is single-handedly changing media-viewing habits. Its audience is growing rapidly: From January through June, the number of unique visitors to the site increased 297 percent, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Users are watching more than 70 million videos on the site daily, and the largest percentage of those visitors is age 12 to 17. By posting a TV pilot rejected by the WB -- the ironically named "Nobody's Watching," a fake reality show -- fans generated enough interest to persuade NBC to pick it up, and the site was instrumental in feeding this summer's "Snakes on a Plane" mania.
YouTube's hodgepodge of clips includes a little of everything that can be squished into less than 10 minutes: snippets of commercial broadcasts, ads, music videos, bloopers, film trailers and even entire films segmented into short chunks. But content created and uploaded by amateur videographers on their own time and their own dime rules the roost.
Why all the would-be Woody Allens? De Zengotita blames this need to be center stage on the flattering nature of our media-saturated environment. All around us, billboards, televisions, computer screens and well-meaning experts address us as audience members and consumers. Media outlets serve up endless lifestyles, experiences and vantage points 24/7, bolstered by a "free to be you and me" celebration of diversity. Courted and pandered to at every turn, the audience becomes solipsistic and fickle. "The flattered self is spoiled," De Zengotita writes. "It never gets enough. It feels unappreciated. It whines a lot. It wants attention."
This state of being the center of everyone's solicitations is dubbed "MeWorld" by de Zengotita, who notes that one of its most pernicious effects is an inescapable self-consciousness -- a sense of always being "on." Such "method acting," as he dubs it, doesn't only undermine the feeling of having a real self, it also throws into question the reality of others. This dynamic played out this summer on YouTube, through the saga of lonelygirl15.
For those living offline: lonelygirl15 is Bree, a 16-year-old homeschooled blogger who hangs out in her bedroom with her friend Daniel and a puppet named Purple Monkey in a town that's "like really boring." Her nearly 30 posts, which began in mid-June, were fetching or irritating depending on your tastes, but they drew hundreds of thousands of viewers and even sustained attention from that arbiter of mainstream reality, the New York Times.
As Bree drew an audience, she also began to attract skeptics, some of whom posted their doubts about her veracity as video responses on YouTube, while others doggedly tracked each clue on blogs and discussion boards. Wasn't the lighting a bit too professional, her goofy face-making just a tad too cute, the story arc too neat? Was this a promotion for a film, an elaborate joke, a real-time role-playing game? Speculations, parodies and news stories proliferated, with one fan plunking down the 15 bucks to register the domain name www.islonelygirl15real.com, giving it the tagline "Tracking the results of the world's quest to find the truth!" By Sept. 7, the quest was over. A letter "To Our Incredible Fans" appeared on the discussion board at www.lonelygirl15.com from "The Creators," who wrote:
"We hope that you will join us in the continuing story of Lonelygirl15, and help us usher in an era of interactive storytelling where the line between "fan" and "star" has been removed, and dedicated fans like yourselves are paid for their efforts. This is an incredible time for the creator inside all of us."
"Bree," it turns out, was a 19-year-old film student, the star of a project hatched by three aspiring filmmakers in their late-20s. Cue media-wide hand-wringing and widespread fan disgust.
On one hand, this is yet another trivial story of new-media micro-celebrity. On the other, it poses these questions: Why were viewers so drawn to Bree and her saccharine performances of precocious teenage girlhood? Why were they so quick to tear at her facade? So obsessed with finding answers? And why does this minor incident mirror so many of today's fan-star dynamics, in which viewers raise up celebrities only to revel in details of their divorces, breakups and drug habits?
It comes back to MeWorld. We want badly to identify with those we hope to emulate, while simultaneously rejecting them for their obvious artifice. Dissatisfaction with the star system then drives viewers to seek their own spotlight. Attention is the currency that powers the new economy. Why should it all accrue to those freaks and strivers currently celebrated as stars? To the barricades -- better yet, to the camcorders.
Unwanted attention is the problem for some, elsewhere. Politicians -- long known for being stage-managed, photo-opped and poll-tested -- are particularly challenged in MeWorld. The rise of the progressive blogosphere demonstrates both a longing for authenticity and the ascendance of the audience to center stage. But politicians are still trapped by the conventions of their trade.
"They face the threat of diminishment by comparison with virtual personalities on the one hand, and, on the other, incessant pressure from journalists angling for a gotcha moment because that's the only interesting thing they can do," de Zengotita writes. "So politicians package themselves for protection -- and end up looking phony as well as flawed."
By allowing videos of gaffes to be isolated, posted and repeated, YouTube has intensified and hastened the cycle of building up and tearing down. This summer, Sens. Conrad Burns , R-Mont., George "Macaca" Allen, R-Va., and Joe Biden, D-Del., found themselves at the mercy of the newest of the new media for making statements that critics characterized as racist. In these cases, bad publicity really was bad publicity.
Ryan Lizza of the New Republic dissected the new political moment in an Aug. 20 New York Times article. "If campaigns resemble reality television, where any moment of a candidate's life can be captured on film and posted on the Web, will the last shreds of authenticity be stripped from our public officials?" he asked. "Will candidates be pushed further into a scripted bubble? In short, will YouTube democratize politics, or destroy it?"
Over on the Personal Democracy Forum, a Web site devoted to exploring "the tools powering the new civic conversation," contributing editor Ari Melber put in a plug for the benefits of bottom-up media. "It's not surprising that political aides are wary of user-driven technology," he writes, "since it might force new information and scrutiny on conventional campaigns. Campaigns aim to deliver a message through several mediums, and campaign managers prefer top-down mediums that they can control or influence."
Politicians are no longer able to tailor their messages to finite audiences: state fair attendees, senior citizens, the party faithful. Each appearance now holds the possibility of being captured and rebroadcast to the larger public. This means that politicians and their handlers need to develop forms of communicating with a cynical and empowered audience.
Jessica Clark writes for In These Times, where this piece appeared. Contact us at insight@sfchronicle.com.
A singular sensation
YouTube, MySpace leading the 'look at me' movement
Jessica Clark
Americans are hams. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? The country's motto should be "look at me, look at me!"
It's too easy to dismiss such behavior as exhibitionism or acting out. Large swaths of the populace feel nonexistent without an audience.
This tendency to seek attention has accelerated with the recent explosion of social networking and video sharing Web sites. Ostensibly, these sites help us to connect with friends, families and the like-minded, but their names belie this. On MySpace and YouTube, making friends is secondary to generating a virtual fan base, an online altar to yourself.
Why has this compulsion to see and be seen overtaken so many of us? Anthropologist Thomas de Zengotita explores this question in his 2005 book "Mediated: How the Media Shapes Your World and the Way You Live in It." Although he finished the book months before YouTube was unveiled in February 2005, his analysis couldn't be more on point.
For those of you not keyed into YouTube, the site -- which allows visitors to upload, categorize and rate video clips -- is single-handedly changing media-viewing habits. Its audience is growing rapidly: From January through June, the number of unique visitors to the site increased 297 percent, according to Nielsen/NetRatings. Users are watching more than 70 million videos on the site daily, and the largest percentage of those visitors is age 12 to 17. By posting a TV pilot rejected by the WB -- the ironically named "Nobody's Watching," a fake reality show -- fans generated enough interest to persuade NBC to pick it up, and the site was instrumental in feeding this summer's "Snakes on a Plane" mania.
YouTube's hodgepodge of clips includes a little of everything that can be squished into less than 10 minutes: snippets of commercial broadcasts, ads, music videos, bloopers, film trailers and even entire films segmented into short chunks. But content created and uploaded by amateur videographers on their own time and their own dime rules the roost.
Why all the would-be Woody Allens? De Zengotita blames this need to be center stage on the flattering nature of our media-saturated environment. All around us, billboards, televisions, computer screens and well-meaning experts address us as audience members and consumers. Media outlets serve up endless lifestyles, experiences and vantage points 24/7, bolstered by a "free to be you and me" celebration of diversity. Courted and pandered to at every turn, the audience becomes solipsistic and fickle. "The flattered self is spoiled," De Zengotita writes. "It never gets enough. It feels unappreciated. It whines a lot. It wants attention."
This state of being the center of everyone's solicitations is dubbed "MeWorld" by de Zengotita, who notes that one of its most pernicious effects is an inescapable self-consciousness -- a sense of always being "on." Such "method acting," as he dubs it, doesn't only undermine the feeling of having a real self, it also throws into question the reality of others. This dynamic played out this summer on YouTube, through the saga of lonelygirl15.
For those living offline: lonelygirl15 is Bree, a 16-year-old homeschooled blogger who hangs out in her bedroom with her friend Daniel and a puppet named Purple Monkey in a town that's "like really boring." Her nearly 30 posts, which began in mid-June, were fetching or irritating depending on your tastes, but they drew hundreds of thousands of viewers and even sustained attention from that arbiter of mainstream reality, the New York Times.
As Bree drew an audience, she also began to attract skeptics, some of whom posted their doubts about her veracity as video responses on YouTube, while others doggedly tracked each clue on blogs and discussion boards. Wasn't the lighting a bit too professional, her goofy face-making just a tad too cute, the story arc too neat? Was this a promotion for a film, an elaborate joke, a real-time role-playing game? Speculations, parodies and news stories proliferated, with one fan plunking down the 15 bucks to register the domain name www.islonelygirl15real.com, giving it the tagline "Tracking the results of the world's quest to find the truth!" By Sept. 7, the quest was over. A letter "To Our Incredible Fans" appeared on the discussion board at www.lonelygirl15.com from "The Creators," who wrote:
"We hope that you will join us in the continuing story of Lonelygirl15, and help us usher in an era of interactive storytelling where the line between "fan" and "star" has been removed, and dedicated fans like yourselves are paid for their efforts. This is an incredible time for the creator inside all of us."
"Bree," it turns out, was a 19-year-old film student, the star of a project hatched by three aspiring filmmakers in their late-20s. Cue media-wide hand-wringing and widespread fan disgust.
On one hand, this is yet another trivial story of new-media micro-celebrity. On the other, it poses these questions: Why were viewers so drawn to Bree and her saccharine performances of precocious teenage girlhood? Why were they so quick to tear at her facade? So obsessed with finding answers? And why does this minor incident mirror so many of today's fan-star dynamics, in which viewers raise up celebrities only to revel in details of their divorces, breakups and drug habits?
It comes back to MeWorld. We want badly to identify with those we hope to emulate, while simultaneously rejecting them for their obvious artifice. Dissatisfaction with the star system then drives viewers to seek their own spotlight. Attention is the currency that powers the new economy. Why should it all accrue to those freaks and strivers currently celebrated as stars? To the barricades -- better yet, to the camcorders.
Unwanted attention is the problem for some, elsewhere. Politicians -- long known for being stage-managed, photo-opped and poll-tested -- are particularly challenged in MeWorld. The rise of the progressive blogosphere demonstrates both a longing for authenticity and the ascendance of the audience to center stage. But politicians are still trapped by the conventions of their trade.
"They face the threat of diminishment by comparison with virtual personalities on the one hand, and, on the other, incessant pressure from journalists angling for a gotcha moment because that's the only interesting thing they can do," de Zengotita writes. "So politicians package themselves for protection -- and end up looking phony as well as flawed."
By allowing videos of gaffes to be isolated, posted and repeated, YouTube has intensified and hastened the cycle of building up and tearing down. This summer, Sens. Conrad Burns , R-Mont., George "Macaca" Allen, R-Va., and Joe Biden, D-Del., found themselves at the mercy of the newest of the new media for making statements that critics characterized as racist. In these cases, bad publicity really was bad publicity.
Ryan Lizza of the New Republic dissected the new political moment in an Aug. 20 New York Times article. "If campaigns resemble reality television, where any moment of a candidate's life can be captured on film and posted on the Web, will the last shreds of authenticity be stripped from our public officials?" he asked. "Will candidates be pushed further into a scripted bubble? In short, will YouTube democratize politics, or destroy it?"
Over on the Personal Democracy Forum, a Web site devoted to exploring "the tools powering the new civic conversation," contributing editor Ari Melber put in a plug for the benefits of bottom-up media. "It's not surprising that political aides are wary of user-driven technology," he writes, "since it might force new information and scrutiny on conventional campaigns. Campaigns aim to deliver a message through several mediums, and campaign managers prefer top-down mediums that they can control or influence."
Politicians are no longer able to tailor their messages to finite audiences: state fair attendees, senior citizens, the party faithful. Each appearance now holds the possibility of being captured and rebroadcast to the larger public. This means that politicians and their handlers need to develop forms of communicating with a cynical and empowered audience.
Jessica Clark writes for In These Times, where this piece appeared. Contact us at insight@sfchronicle.com.
Nov 26, 2006
Passionate Self Belief Is The Key To Your Success
Most of us have many ideas about what it takes to get ahead. Ask 100 people what they need to succeed and you'll hear: more education &/or training, lots of money, loans, contacts and luck. Wouldn't you agree?
True, having one or more of those things could help you along the path to wealth. But, quite frankly, you don't need any of them to succeed. That has been proven time and again by thousands who have possessed none of those advantages and yet found a way to earn millions in very little time.
The KEY 'ingredient' necessary for your success is Passionate Belief in the power of YOU. When you know and believe that You can succeed through the power of your own actions, you will. Fact. Remember those old sayings, "Showing up is 98% of success", and, "What you believe you perceive". They're true. Those who consistently do their very best are eventually going to succeed. And those who believe in their success will find a way to succeed. Despite the obstacles.
You know, when I look for people to join one of my businesses, I'm really seeing if they have that passionate self belief that will propel them to the top. Of course, it's always great to have a helping hand along the way. Passionate self belief alone can get you to the top, but you'll get there MUCH faster with three more main ingredients. Do you know what they are?
The first is a Mentor. Someone who has been where you are. They've found the best way forward, and can help propel you in the right direction. You get to learn from their mistakes. Let's face it we all want an easier life don't we?
Talking of an easier life, the second ingredient we need to get us speedily to the top is technology. The right tools for the job. Top notch automation, websites, tracking...all on 24 hr autopilot. So you are free to focus on what you're best at.
Finally, something magical happens when you combine many people who all understand their unique personal power, and how to harness it. A large group of motivated people working for a common goal can be a powerful force for wealth creation and maximization. Find such a group, and you'll be well on your way to riches.
Combine all these ingredients: Passionate Self Belief, Mentoring, Technology and Goal Oriented Team Working and what do you get? Sweet Success. You even get to choose the flavor of the icing on your cake!
Written by Temenuzhka Draganova
________________________________________
About the author
Use Temenuzhka Draganova's amazingly simple and proven cash flow system and enjoy hundreds to thousands of dollars daily. For more information please see: http://www.wealthandsecure.com
Most of us have many ideas about what it takes to get ahead. Ask 100 people what they need to succeed and you'll hear: more education &/or training, lots of money, loans, contacts and luck. Wouldn't you agree?
True, having one or more of those things could help you along the path to wealth. But, quite frankly, you don't need any of them to succeed. That has been proven time and again by thousands who have possessed none of those advantages and yet found a way to earn millions in very little time.
The KEY 'ingredient' necessary for your success is Passionate Belief in the power of YOU. When you know and believe that You can succeed through the power of your own actions, you will. Fact. Remember those old sayings, "Showing up is 98% of success", and, "What you believe you perceive". They're true. Those who consistently do their very best are eventually going to succeed. And those who believe in their success will find a way to succeed. Despite the obstacles.
You know, when I look for people to join one of my businesses, I'm really seeing if they have that passionate self belief that will propel them to the top. Of course, it's always great to have a helping hand along the way. Passionate self belief alone can get you to the top, but you'll get there MUCH faster with three more main ingredients. Do you know what they are?
The first is a Mentor. Someone who has been where you are. They've found the best way forward, and can help propel you in the right direction. You get to learn from their mistakes. Let's face it we all want an easier life don't we?
Talking of an easier life, the second ingredient we need to get us speedily to the top is technology. The right tools for the job. Top notch automation, websites, tracking...all on 24 hr autopilot. So you are free to focus on what you're best at.
Finally, something magical happens when you combine many people who all understand their unique personal power, and how to harness it. A large group of motivated people working for a common goal can be a powerful force for wealth creation and maximization. Find such a group, and you'll be well on your way to riches.
Combine all these ingredients: Passionate Self Belief, Mentoring, Technology and Goal Oriented Team Working and what do you get? Sweet Success. You even get to choose the flavor of the icing on your cake!
Written by Temenuzhka Draganova
________________________________________
About the author
Use Temenuzhka Draganova's amazingly simple and proven cash flow system and enjoy hundreds to thousands of dollars daily. For more information please see: http://www.wealthandsecure.com
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