True Meaning of The 12 Days of Christmas

From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics.
It has two levels of meaning: the surface meaning plus a hidden meaning known only to members of their church. Each element in the carol has a code word for a religious reality which the children could remember.

1. The partridge in a pear tree was Jesus Christ.


2. Two turtle doves were the Old and New Testaments.


3. Three French hens stood for faith, hope and love.


4. The four calling birds were the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke & John.


5. The five golden rings recalled the Torah *or* Law, the first five books of the Old Testament.


6. The six geese a-laying stood for the six days of creation.


7. Seven swans a-swimming represented the sevenfold gifts of the Holy Spirit--Prophesy, Serving, Teaching, Exhortation, Contribution, Leadership, and Mercy.


8. The eight maids a-milking were the eight beatitudes.


9. Nine ladies dancing were the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit--Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.


10. The ten lords a-leaping were the ten commandments.


11. The eleven pipers piping stood for the eleven faithful disciples.


12. The twelve drummers drumming symbolized the twelve points of belief in the Apostles'' Creed.

So there is your history for today. This knowledge was shared with me and I found it interesting and enlightening and now I know how that strange song became a Christmas Carol...so pass it on if you wish.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Power Brokering

The more I hear of businesses demanding a bail out, the more fearful I am of a socialist government taking over our nation. A bail out mentality is the benchmark of a socialistic, or even a communistic government. We give up our freedoms every time we accept “assistance” from the government, banks, or even a rich Uncle. What ever happened to the attitude of “Independence” in our great country? Perhaps that got thrown out as everyone started celebrating the “4th of July” instead of intended “Independence Day.” The value of our independence is worth more than all $700 billion- even for one person! I’m sure the hundreds of thousands who have spilt their blood so that we could truly be independent would be horrified at the thought of how weakly we value such freedom today. Much of that blood was spilt in order to abolish slavery, and yet we willingly enslave ourselves when we stand by and watch a sizeable portion of our lives, our futures, and that of our progenitors be sold out for $715 billion in total. (And that’s just what we know about.) I see a bail out as one trying to cheat consequences. And yet we all know that doing merely compounds the consequences as they were originally determined.

Bail outs have long- term consequences that you ultimately do not want. And you certainly do not want them for your children or grandchildren. And yet your government leaders are shackling us with these burdens without representing your interests and with every attempt to keep you in the dark as to their true consequences. These decisions are being made in a myopic and duplicitous manner by those with power with the intention that those who are working 2 and 3 jobs just to make ends meet will be too busy, too drained to give put up any resistance. You can say that it won’t come from our tax dollars…at least not in such a manner that it’s so obvious. Do you really think that our government printing up an extra $715 billion in our economy will have no affect on the value of our currency?

The value of our currency determines the value of your work. As the value of the dollar goes down, the need for you to work more hours increases just to obtain the necessities in life. In truth, we would gasp in outrage and plot an all out revolution if we clearly saw just how many of our hours we’re forced to work just to pay the debts which our out of control government has thrust upon us. And of course, the government has brokered the maximum amount of power when it comes to collecting their share. After all, who among us does not have a moment of fear when we hear the words IRS tax audit?

It’s apparent that we no longer broker money and monetized assets folks. We now broker power, and I’m not talking about electricity either. The attitude of the majority of our leaders is “money is nothing if it doesn’t come with power.” Why else would someone spend millions to win a position that only pays $165,000 a year? It’s the power that it buys, not their commitment to serving the people they represent.

Whatever happened to the police officers that children looked up to as heroes? Today we only see them use their power to violate the very laws they are supposed to enforce with the belief that they do so beyond reproach.

What ever happened to the professional basketball and football players that we used to look up to as superstars? Instead we see arrests for atrocious crimes knowing full well that the arrests only represent a small fraction of what’s actually being committed due to successful power brokering.

Thank goodness there’s still the Lance Armstrong, the Michael Phelps, and a few others like them to show us that there is still power and strength in goodness.

In closing I just wanted to share this little write-up by an anonymous author as they attempt toe explain the orchestrations of the bail outs to us.

Bail Out explained (Author Unknown)

Young Henry in Montana bought a horse from a farmer for $100. The farmer agreed to deliver the horse the next day. The next day he drove up and said, "Sorry son but I have some bad news, the horse died." Henry replied, "Well, then just give me my money back." The farmer said, "Can't do that as I went and spent the money already" Henry said, "Ok, then, just bring me the dead horse."

The farmer asked, "What are you going to do with him?" Henry said, "I'm going to raffle him off." The farmer said, "You can't raffle off a dead horse!" Henry said, "Sure I can, just watch me and I just won't tell anybody he's dead."

A month later, the farmer met up with Henry and asked, "What happened with that dead horse?" Henry said, "I raffled him off, sold 500 tickets at two dollars each, and made a $998 profit. The farmer said, "Didn't anyone complain?"

Henry said, "Just the guy who won so I gave him his two dollars back." Henry grew up and works now for the government and he was the one who figured out how to "bail us out".

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Feds Deliver Tough Love to Credit Card Consumers

You’ve no doubt heard that the Feds will rule this week on new sweeping changes to the credit card industry. http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/12/credit_cards_fed.html


Part of their proposal is that credit card companies will not be permitted to raise the interest rate on existing balances. While many seem to be thrilled with this prospect and feel that justice will be served, some are oblivious to the backlash that will inevitably occur, namely the elimination of several credit card companies due to their inability of maintaining profitability without the use of such monstrous tactics, and the elimination of credit cards being issued to anyone with less-than-perfect credit profiles.

Over 65,000 consumers have sent in feedback to the Feds on this topic along with stories of the aggressive tactics that credit card companies have taken to maintain profits, and to collect on delinquent debt. Many submitted lengthy stories as well, stories which showed that even a perfect payment history did not protect someone from “unfair” treatment at the hands of the credit card companies. There are an abundance of consumers in all aspects of society who feel they have been mistreated by the credit card companies. So it’s no wonder that this is the most involved consumers have been on any issue with the Feds.

While I agree with the premise of most of the proposals on this matter, there are obviously going to be some privileges that will be revoked with such regulations. One of which being the elimination of small credit card balance issuers who typically issue credit to high credit risk consumers. Many economists are attempting to sway the Feds due to this “downside” but personally, I think it’s GREAT.

This is the first time in a long time that I would find myself able to say this, but I think that both the proactive steps as well as the reactive scenarios are excellent for our economy. While the pill will be hard to swallow on both sides, we have become a society dangerously dependent on credit cards. At what point did we as consumers think that we needed so much more than we could actually pay for? In my opinion, those who are in tough financial times, thus possessing low credit scores, do not truly need the temptation of a credit card—at any rate or any available balance. Whether one is wealthy, middle-class, or poor, one does not truly need a credit card. As a society we have given away too much of our freedom and helped build these credit card companies to the flesh-eating monsters that they are. WE have created this monster. We only have ourselves to blame. I firmly believe that a dose of “tough love” will aid in eliminating some credit card companies and their high credit risk junkies, and that is a very good start.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

REAL Christmas Gift Ideas

Christmas is supposed to be a heightened time of giving. Yet for many of us it ends up being a stressful time for spending money, going into debt, family quarrels, and all of the other less than intended results.

Let’s face it. When you get an e-mail from a business or a “holiday card” it’s usually an attempt to solicit more business from you. It may come in the form of “an unbelievable, time-sensitive discount” or an “end of the year blowout” etc. Makes you think that the only person who’s talking about a gift, is the business owner who’s trying to contrive one for themselves.

When we give gifts to friends and family, often the human part of us is plagued by giving in order to positively affect the way someone will think about us, or appreciate us. Even the best of hearts try not to give in order to get thanks, but it happens whether we intend for it or not.

It’s rare that we’re able to give in an unadulterated fashion, getting no thanks and no recognition. So I thought I’d share a couple of ideas with you to really have some fun giving and doing it in the right way.

1) Infiltrate a Salvation Army Store (or other such store). Load up on a stack of cash, whether it’s ones, fives, etc, and go where the needy go. Just start handing one out to each person, even the employees (Keep in mind if the person works there, they are likely struggling too). If you can do it in a traditional Christmas suit for better anonymity, the better. The key is to give, and to give anonymously. You’ll have a better feeling about the whole thing if you do not tell a SOUL that you did it.

2) Drive-Thru Dizzy: When you go through a drive thru for your next meal, tell the cashier that you’re also paying for the person behind you. It’s hilarious to think of that person pulling in behind you only to hear the cashier tell them that the stranger in front of them paid for their meal that day. This also works great at a manual toll booth.

3) Drop and Dash: You probably know what that is. You get a gift; leave it on the doorstep; knock; and RUN. Not the most original thought in the world, I agree, but I just LOVE doing this…especially this time of year (It’s even better if you have a night set of binoculars so you can see the expression on your face when they open their doors…of course you’ll be panting hard and perhaps fogging up the lenses). If it’s a gift card to a grocery store, or a grocery/superstore all in one, it’s an even better gift because it may actually help people to meet their perceived needs of affording gifts for their children/family. So be sure to do it BEFORE Christmas.

4) Investing in a Santa suit is great for being able to do a lot of acts of giving anonymously. And it seems to incorporate a special Christmas magic in yourself too. Santa seems to be magical to everyone, even those who are too old to still believe. As Santa (or Mrs. Clause, or a Christmas Elf, or a Christmas Fairy) you can make people’s lives brighter merely by going into a store and greeting everyone. Tiny candy canes are great to have on hand as well.

All of these ideas are about really giving of yourself while making it virtually impossible to do so with any alternative motives in mind and heart. These actions will ultimately give you one of the best Christmas’s ever!

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Water Blogged

Recently I’ve been inundated with requests from readers to know how I’ve personally prepared for the future. These requests have come about as a result of my blog post of Gerald Celente’s economic forecasts (see link here). In fact, I’ve even create an entirely new blog called Preparedness Pro, devoted exclusively to emergency preparedness in the categories of food (including cooking), water, first aid, self-defense, finances, and emotional preparedness. Be sure to add this one to your blogroll (http://preparednesspro.blogspot.com/) and check back often!

What makes me a pro? I’ve been practicing personal preparedness doggedly for over 9 years. Our house has 3 full rooms of necessary emergency supplies. Usually, instead of going to the store, I just go downstairs to our food storage room, grab what I need, and replenish about every 6 months or so. It will be up to you to decide whether or not what I share with you has merit.

First Things First—WATER!

If you have not started preparing for an emergency, do not start with food. Start with WATER! If you’ve already started a sufficient emergency supply food storage, you are probably like the majority of individuals and have put off storing water. “Where am I going to store those ugly barrels?” you ask? Believe me, that’s the last thing you’re going to care about when you need water.

How much water should I store?
You can go without food a heck of a lot longer than you can water. I know this may sound a bit overwhelming, but you really need to store enough water to provide you and your family with 1 gallon per day—minimum—for at least 3 months. Allow me to restate this. 1 gallon per person is MINIMUM. That’s a lot. But you don’t need to go back too far in history to realize that such a need could exist. Think of the hurricanes our nation has had in recent history. Is your area ripe for an earthquake? What if some moron crashes their chemical truck into your water supply?

Keep in mind that that one gallon of water is not just for drinking. It’s for hygiene, (and don’t even think that you’ll avoid bathing all together…this will foster serious illnesses, among other things) cooking, toilet use, laundry, and cleaning.

How do I store my water?
Store your water in NEW barrels. Please don’t store water you intend to use for drinking and cooking in barrels that have been used for something else. You will suffer, indeed. (It’s fine to use those kinds of barrels for water you will use exclusively for cleaning, etc.)

Please, please, please do not store your water in empty milk or soda pop bottles. They deteriorate. (Although is you have to choose one of them, pick the soda pop bottles instead. They last a bit longer)

Should I store purified water?
Don’t treat your water before storing it. Chance are very good that it’s already been sufficiently treated by your municipality. Besides, I would recommend treating your water prior to using it for drinking or cooking anyway. To do this you want to use 8 drops of pure chlorine per gallon of water.

You can fill your water barrels through the garden hose. As long as you let the water run through the hose a bit and there aren’t any bugs sitting in it, you’re fine. Surely you drank out of a hose when you were little and you’re no worse for wear, right? If you’re a purist, you can purchase a marine hose that is lined with an anti-bacterial coating. Those are readily available at your local hardware store.

Keep in mind that the water in your water heater, water bed, and toilet tanks is usable as well.

Iodine tablets, colloidal silver, and quality camping water filters are also a good preparedness step in the event you’re required to use water from sources you’re not familiar with.

One of the things that I stock up on as well are the little Xooma water sachets. These small, tea bag like sachets contain minerals and such that can bring your water to a good non-alkaline levels and infuse minerals in them. I personally believe that doing so helps for better hydration to the body. So I keep stocked up on these for an emergency as well. You can check them out at http://www.xoomaworldwide.com/WaterDiva/

How often do I replace the water?
We empty and refill our water barrels every two years. You don’t need to do it that often, but we’re a bit fanatical about things. You’re fine to go out 5 years prior to refilling them as long as it’s good water to begin with. You will want to aerate your water though prior to drinking it. Doing this is as simple as pouring it a few times from one container to another, such as a couple of pitchers.

Where am I supposed to store all this water?
If you’re in a small apartment, you will be pleasantly surprised how easily you can disguise a water barrel as an end table with a small round piece of plywood and a classy decorative tablecloth. We are fortunate enough to have enough space in our basement and have several of them lined up and then have plywood stacked on top of them to begin shelving for our food storage.

Note to wives: If your overzealous husband convinces you to store “an extra” eight 50-gallon barrels under one of the guest beds, you may want to think twice. It’s a family joke now when folks come to stay with us and sleep in the “water bed.”

Don’t buy into the myth that you can’t store your water barrels on cement. Clarification is that you should not store your water on cement that gets heated by the sun. So if you’re storing it outside, the sun will heat the cement, which will then heat your water. This makes water taste nasty. If you’re storing them outside, place the barrels on top of 2 x 4s.

You can store your water barrels outside in freezing weather, but you run the risk of them freezing and cracking. At the very least, you should not fill them up to maximum capacity to allow for the freezing expansion.

Conserving Water
Consider ways to conserve water in an emergency as well. Storing paper goods such as paper plates and cups will eliminate cleaning, and learning to cook with a pressure cooker which uses a minimum amount of water for cooking is also a good idea. (more on pressure cooking in a future blog.)

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

The beginning of a business…ain’t it grand?

Hot off the press…I just got an abbreviated copy of the transcript from the 3M Mastermind call today which Eliza Vaile hosted. I just wanted to post this part about perceiving a beginning in the proper perspective (with their permission of course). I thought it was GREAT!!
********************

Most of us, when we started our business, the very thought of even starting a business seemed like a Herculean task. Frankly, that’s only because it hadn’t been done before for most of us. Many of you have served as literal pioneers in what you’re bringing to the market.

I’m sure that when Ben Franklin discovered the electrical effects of lightening, he thought it was a pretty big deal at the time as well. However, the availability of electricity is a very common assumption for most of us all over the world nowadays. In fact, I’m so accustomed to it, that on those rare occasions when it does go off during a storm or something, I find myself thinking, oh well, I’ll just watch some TV while I wait for the power to come back on. (Do any of you do that too?)

Anyway, while we’re not disputing the value of electricity in our lives, we do have to recognize that it wasn’t the top of the mountain, or the ultimate accomplishment, so to speak. So much more has been done to generate power, and ease and convenience in our lives since then, right? And we all realize that we have to learn to walk prior to running. However, most of us mistakenly give ourselves way too long of a trial period for walking before we attempt to run. And in doing so, we limit the amazing ripple effect that could have been realized, had we pushed sooner or harder. We hesitate to participate in a bigger league or broader scope of possibilities. What I’m teaching you here is that we need to be acceptant of larger and more successful beginnings. There’s always a beginning- But the beginning is perfectly capable of BEING GREAT! Beginnings need not be feeble, sub-standard, or insignificant. I worked in a print shop when I was 13, and I always came across interesting printed matter. One customer had a bumper sticker printed up just for her, and I have NEVER forgotten it, because I found it to be so profound. “Just because I’m paranoid, doesn’t mean they aren’t after me.” Just because someone is new doesn’t mean they can’t do a good job. Just because we do make mistakes, doesn’t mean we’re not competent.

Michelangelo is well known for his work on the Sistine chapel… what you may not know, is it wasn’t because of his experience in painting that made this wonder of the world so magnificent!


He was from Florence, Italy. In those days the Pope could basically just demand that you do such and such. If you did not perform, you would be imprisoned without a second thought and for the rest of your life!

What most people do not know is that he was NOT a painter. He was a sculpturer! He was still required to do this task though. So he took a mere 3 months of painting training, and he then went to work and painted the Sistine Chapel! Isn’t it interesting that reality would suggest that those who TRAINED Michelangelo would be better suited for this task. But no. The burden was laid on Michelangelo to perform superbly. I suppose he could have done an “OK” job. I suppose he could have excused the absence of a perfect painting to the fact that this was after all, his first attempt. But he was armed with this TRUTH. There’s always a beginning. But a beginning is not an excuse, reason, or cause for a sub-standard performance. Even though many of us are “beginning” a new path, a new career, perhaps even a new workout regime or other discipline, it need not be feeble. It can be splendid!

Those of you who have the privilege of being parents- When you first held your brand new baby in your arms, didn’t you find yourself saying “Oh, he or she is so “Perfect”?! This little bundle of joy is merely at the beginning of their life. And yet most of us look at them and hold them and see just how perfectly beautiful they are. Is not this indicative of the truth that beginnings can be fabulous?

Walt Disney first created Disneyland. It was a massive undertaking. He was scoffed at and scorned for dreaming so big! Millions of individuals have attended that theme park over the last 50 years? with a critical, even cynical perspective, and yet millions have been converted to it’s magic… to his belief that a beginning effort can be wonderful! He then went on to prove that it wasn’t a fluke! He did it again, even better with Disney World! Guess what. Euro Disney was not so successful when it first opened. Even as great as the other two Disney park ventures were, it didn’t mean that they all were going to be great and wildly successful. But that doesn’t lessen the success of their beginning, right?

George Washington was the first ever General of the United States as well as the very first U.S. president! And what a fabulous job he did in both of those capacities.

Don’t get me wrong…Michelangelo, Child Birth, Walt Disney, George Washington- all of these involve a great deal of labor and challenges. But they are STILL worth it, right?. And they can still be amazing. There’s no rule that says a beginning has to be mediocre.

There will be all of these same challenges inherent in a project that doesn’t start out so wonderful as well.

We are all plagued with some type of malfunctions- but does that mean that we are in any way programmed for failure simply because we are new at something or “just” a small business owner? Believing in beginnings is actually critical to your happiness and success. Because if you allow yourself to perceive otherwise then you can and WILL always blame someone or something or some circumstances in your life for you mistakes, shortcomings, etc, and then you will ALWAYS perform less than you are truly capable of. Remember, “there are no victims, only volunteers.”

We can’t bar ourselves from doing something new because it’s imperative to our success as business owners. We’ve got to be willing to forge ahead in order to stay relevant to our customers. We can’t afford to tell ourselves that we’re not even going to try because of fright, intimidation or some other reason, because in a lot of cases in today’s economy, we may be ignoring our only shot at playing in the game. As Robert Ringer says, “If life’s a game, we might as well play hard to win.” Why NOT have fun and try to win?


*********** That’s all of it that I got permission to share for now. I strongly recommend that if you’re an entrepreneur, you register as a primary member of 3M Mastermind. It’s free! And their monthly training webinars are excellent! Just go to http://www.3mmastermind.com/

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Doctors…do you know what your receptionists are doing?

Doctors…do you know what your receptionists are doing?

You’re sick enough that your oversized work ethic is requiring you to finally succumb to the mercy of a doctors office. After 3 miserable days in bed you finally manage to get showered and feel quite wiped out having done so. You half consciously make it to the doctors office…the place where you hope that you’ll finally get some advice or help in overcoming your misery…and what’s the FIRST thing you hear from the receptionist when you announce your on time arrival?

“Do you have insurance?”

No “Hi. How are you today? Sorry to see that you’re ill. We’ll be with you as soon as we can. Heaven forbid someone should actually acknowledge your human-ness and address you by name.

A little human consideration goes a long way towards improved health when you make us sit half naked with nothing but an oversized paper towel over us, or when we have to wait for hours in a waiting room with other sick, wheezing, vomiting people.

Sure insurance pays your bills. But PEOPLE pay for the insurance. And PEOPLE are who make the decision which doctor they will use. I realize that you may be oblivious that your receptionists are greeting your patients this way. But the majority of them are nowadays. Does it really rack up your overtime costs if your receptionist takes a millisecond to say “hello” before she asks about insurance information?

Here’s a perfect example…a true story…no exaggeration…

Patient calling into a doctors office: Hi. I’m ___________, the husband of ___________ who is a patient of doctor ______________. My wife just passed out after throwing up right after she took the prescription you gave her. What should I do?

Receptionist: “What insurance do you have?”

NO KIDDING! Holy cow, the least she could have done is said “Mr. _______, what insurance do you have?” or “I’m sorry to hear that. What insurance do you have?”

Doctors, if you’re unhappy with the grumpiness or the lack of social tact of your patients, a little bit of education of your greeting staff could make a huge difference in the daily fulfillment of your career.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Celente Predicts Revolution, Food Riots, Tax Rebellions By 2012

Paul Joseph WatsonPrison Planet.comThursday, November 13, 2008
Gerald Celente

The man who predicted the 1987 stock market crash and the fall of the Soviet Union is now forecasting revolution in America, food riots and tax rebellions - all within four years, while cautioning that putting food on the table will be a more pressing concern than buying Christmas gifts by 2012.

Gerald Celente, the CEO of Trends Research Institute, is renowned for his accuracy in predicting future world and economic events, which will send a chill down your spine considering what he told Fox News this week.

Celente says that by 2012 America will become an undeveloped nation, that there will be a revolution marked by food riots, squatter rebellions, tax revolts and job marches, and that holidays will be more about obtaining food, not gifts.

“We’re going to see the end of the retail Christmas….we’re going to see a fundamental shift take place….putting food on the table is going to be more important that putting gifts under the Christmas tree,” said Celente, adding that the situation would be “worse than the great depression”.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46MEqEgdLTg

“America’s going to go through a transition the likes of which no one is prepared for,” said Celente, noting that people’s refusal to acknowledge that America was even in a recession highlights how big a problem denial is in being ready for the true scale of the crisis.

Celente, who successfully predicted the 1997 Asian Currency Crisis, the subprime mortgage collapse and the massive devaluation of the U.S. dollar, told UPI in November last year that the following year would be known as “The Panic of 2008,” adding that “giants (would) tumble to their deaths,” which is exactly what we have witnessed with the collapse of Lehman Brothers, Bear Stearns and others. He also said that the dollar would eventually be devalued by as much as 90 per cent.

The consequence of what we have seen unfold this year would lead to a lowering in living standards, Celente predicted a year ago, which is also being borne out by plummeting retail sales figures.

The prospect of revolution was a concept echoed by a British Ministry of Defence report last year, which predicted that within 30 years, the growing gap between the super rich and the middle class, along with an urban underclass threatening social order would mean, “The world’s middle classes might unite, using access to knowledge, resources and skills to shape transnational processes in their own class interest,” and that, “The middle classes could become a revolutionary class.”

In a separate recent interview, Celente went further on the subject of revolution in America.
“There will be a revolution in this country,” he said. “It’s not going to come yet, but it’s going to come down the line and we’re going to see a third party and this was the catalyst for it: the takeover of Washington, D. C., in broad daylight by Wall Street in this bloodless coup. And it will happen as conditions continue to worsen.”

“The first thing to do is organize with tax revolts. That’s going to be the big one because people can’t afford to pay more school tax, property tax, any kind of tax. You’re going to start seeing those kinds of protests start to develop.”

“It’s going to be very bleak. Very sad. And there is going to be a lot of homeless, the likes of which we have never seen before. Tent cities are already sprouting up around the country and we’re going to see many more.”

“We’re going to start seeing huge areas of vacant real estate and squatters living in them as well. It’s going to be a picture the likes of which Americans are not going to be used to. It’s going to come as a shock and with it, there’s going to be a lot of crime. And the crime is going to be a lot worse than it was before because in the last 1929 Depression, people’s minds weren’t wrecked on all these modern drugs – over-the-counter drugs, or crystal meth or whatever it might be. So, you have a huge underclass of very desperate people with their minds chemically blown beyond anybody’s comprehension.”

The George Washington blog has compiled a list of quotes attesting to Celente’s accuracy as a trend forecaster.

“When CNN wants to know about the Top Trends, we ask Gerald Celente.”— CNN Headline News

“A network of 25 experts whose range of specialties would rival many university faculties.”— The Economist

“Gerald Celente has a knack for getting the zeitgeist right.”— USA Today

“There’s not a better trend forecaster than Gerald Celente. The man knows what he’s talking about.”- CNBC

“Those who take their predictions seriously … consider the Trends Research Institute.”— The Wall Street Journal

“Gerald Celente is always ahead of the curve on trends and uncannily on the mark … he’s one of the most accurate forecasters around.”— The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

“Mr. Celente tracks the world’s social, economic and business trends for corporate clients.”— The New York Times

“Mr. Celente is a very intelligent guy. We are able to learn about trends from an authority.”— 48 Hours, CBS News

“Gerald Celente has a solid track record. He has predicted everything from the 1987 stock market crash and the demise of the Soviet Union to green marketing and corporate downsizing.”— The Detroit News

“Gerald Celente forecast the 1987 stock market crash, ‘green marketing,’ and the boom in gourmet coffees.”— Chicago Tribune

“The Trends Research Institute is the Standard and Poors of Popular Culture.”— The Los Angeles Times

“If Nostradamus were alive today, he’d have a hard time keeping up with Gerald Celente.”— New York Post

So there you have it - hardly a nutjob conspiracy theorist blowhard now is he? The price of not heeding his warnings will be far greater than the cost of preparing for the future now. Storable food and gold are two good places to make a start.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Grateful for Him—Happy Thanksgiving

I’d like to think that I’m mindful of what I have to be grateful for on a regular basis, but I’m sure I take way too much for granted.

I am truly blessed with an amazing husband and some incredibly supportive family members and friends. But I’m also blessed with a phenomenal team of support in our office who possess amazing talents and depth of character.

Additionally, we are ALL greatly blessed with the ability to achieve, regardless of how painful the trials and challenges feel at times. The question is will we dare to believe in suitably high achievements?

I pray that I never get fearful of the heights of challenge and achievement for I know I will then cease growing. I believe that wishing away the challenges I encounter, however painful they may be, is discounting and dismissing His wisdom in the application of His involvement in my life. Personal realization for me…I am grateful for Him in my life and thus will never minimize His involvement by referring to him as some code name such as “the universe” or “nature” etc. He is indeed the Savior of the world and has clearly earned the right for me to be grateful to Him and to acknowledge Him by name, unashamedly…Jesus Christ.

May each of you have a joyful reunion of family and friends held together by gratitude this time of year.

Sincerely,
Kellene

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

What really happened to the U.S. Post Office?

Today’s headlines blame the economy on the fact that USPS is in the red over $2.8 billion. For the purposes of this blog, I’m going to lump the woes of DHL and Circuit City’s bankruptcy news in this today as well. After all, their challenges all have one thing in common…and it’s not the “bad economy.” It’s the inability for these entities to accept responsibility at an opportune time in which the economy can be blamed.

Now let’s get to the truth of the matter.

How about the fact that the USPS has lost a significant amount of trust with its consumers nowadays? High-count direct-mail marketers are strongly cautioned against sending out all of their mail on the same day due to historical instances in which the postal employee recipient will merely throw them away. As a result, not only do large-scale mail marketers have to separate their outgoing mail among several different post offices (which costs them more in the bulk mailing costs they pay) but they also have to be sure to plant “seed” addresses in their lists. In other words, have the items be mailed to individuals who they can trust and confirm that a mail piece was received.

What ever happened to “through rain, sleet, or snow?” Many business owners are reporting that the post office is refusing to deliver mail to any floor above the first level regardless of the presence of an elevator. Instead, regardless of what kind of sensitive documentation your business may receive, the USPS will hand over your mail to a business on the 1st floor and expect it to get to you. And thus wash their hands of any responsibility to do what they actually get paid to do…deliver mail to the addressee.

In this same situation, business owners are complaining that certified mail isn’t even being delivered to and signed for the intended recipient. It’s merely signed for by some mindless individual at the office that the post office determines will accept the mail for the entire building.

Have you ever noticed that smiling customer service is rare at a US Post office? Long lines all year round. Minimal supplies when they are available. Waiting in line only to be told that you didn’t need to wait in line or you have to do such and such and then get in line again. How does a post office run out of stamps on a regular business day? Isn’t that a big part of what they are supposed to do?

I don’t know about you, but over the last two years I’ve been receiving a significant increase in mail that’s not addressed to me. Not even close. And yet when I put it back in the mail box to be delivered to its appropriate addressee, my postal worker informs me that it will merely be returned to sender as undeliverable. Holy cow! The address is right on there only a couple blocks away!

And yet for all of these stellar benefits, we give frequent “raises” to the post office in the form of regularly increased postage costs.

Our office used DHL exclusively for some time, until we just got too fed up with packages not being delivered on time, being nickled and dimed with additional fees, and DHL not accepting any responsibility when a package was delivered incorrectly.

On the opposite side of this business, our Fed Ex delivery person once attempted to deliver a package to our office at Christmas time only to discover my husband and I had already left. So he drove over to our home and delivered it there! Fed Ex doesn’t deliver perfectly either. But when Fed Ex messes up on a delivery, an immediate credit is issued without having to wait on hold for 20 minutes to share the unpleasant tale.

Circuit City has been getting too big for it’s britches over the last two years as well. Winter shopping at this retailer proved to be confusing, frustrating, and altogether unpleasant—clearly reflective of their employee training program and management standards they have in place.

But hey. Let’s blame the demise of USPS, DHL, and Circuit City on the economy, shall we? That takes the blame and focus off of the real problems. That way no one has to accept accountability and learn from these horrendous mistakes. Too bad Enron didn’t close down in the midst of an economic crisis. No one would have gone to jail.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Joe the Plumber

Joe the Plumber vs. Rick Sanchez—the talking head of CNN. And the winner is…Joe Wurzelbacher. On the other hand, at the risk of sounding like the amateur mass media, Rick Sanchez is this year’s entrepreneurial putz.

In his November 4th interview with the newly famous Joe the Plumber, Rick Sanchez appeared to be as knowledgeable of the abilities of entrepreneurs as the Mr. Clean knows hair care.

Mr. Sanchez’s mindless questions of Joe the Plumber demonstrated that he had clearly NOT done his research of this nation’s entrepreneurs. He joined the mass of misperception when he underestimated entrepreneurs all over the world as indicated by empty-headed questions to Joe Wurzelbacher. Sanchez’s ignorance was manifested on at least 3 separate lines of questioning.

1) “Why would you be so upset about people who clear more than $250,000 a year—having to pay taxes, when you’re nowhere near that category?”

One does not need to live in a leper colony to have sympathy for their plight. Wurzelbacher made it clear repeatedly that he objected to the principle of the wealthier paying more taxes simply because they had more of it. Like most entrepreneurs,

2) “…you are not in a situation where you’re going to be able to make that money any time soon.”

Who is this talking bobble head to dish out the socially acceptable level and speed of any person’s achievement or fulfillment in this life? (business owner or not)

The fact of the matter is, every entrepreneur is very near making $250,000. Many have succeeded in making multiple times that in one day. Some are content to choose to earn less, and some push themselves to earn more. There’s no mandate that it must take decades, years or months to earn this kind of income. No initials after your name are required. No special gene pool. It’s not a secret and it’s accessible to any literate human being in our nation. It requires applied knowledge, a restlessness with the status quo, and a combination of passion and commitment.

3) “You’re nowhere near being able to buy a business that clears more than $250,000 a year because that would take millions and millions of dollars, right?”

Another mistaken assumption. It does not take millions of dollars to clear $250,000. In fact, there are many well known business owners who have brought in significantly more than that for significantly less. Entrepreneurs of all kinds know how to create huge profit margins. Paul Hartunian, for example, paid $500 for the discarded wood of the Brooklyn Bridge walkway to be delivered to his home. He then cut the wood up in tiny little square pieces, wrote a killer press release, and made millions of dollars actually selling the Brooklyn Bridge to people all over the world. To this day he is STILL getting free press about this and subsequent feats of similar style.

Credible information marketers such as Dan Kennedy, Lee Milteer, Michael Cheney, Rich Shefren, Matt Bacak, Shawn Casey, Tellman Knudsen, Jeff Walker, Bill Glazer, Andrew Fox, and countless others regularly clear 7 figures within a matter of days in exchange for a weeks worth of writing and sharing their expertise—and do so repeatedly! Write, launch, reap, repeat.

Here’s the ultimate problem with Sanchez’s skewed vision of the world of capitalism. He’s forgotten about freedom combined with human potential. For every story of failure, there’s an enduring story of success in even greater proportions. In my opinion, there are equal amounts of ways to succeed as there are to stumble.

One of my clients recently earned over $500,000 on one transaction. Granted, he had to make his way through whole lot of “suspect clients” in the last 9 months to get access to the real deal, but he did so. And now that he’s accomplished this, no Rick Sanchez of the world can ever convince him that his ideas of success are impossible.

One significant success will breed a confident, unshakable entrepreneur.

My hope is that one day entrepreneurs will be viewed as the standard of success, genuine security, and credibility. In my opinion, they certainly deserve the respect, sincere assistance and accolades more than Wall Street, Big Corporate America, or the sacrosanct banking institutions do.

Here’s my challenge to all entrepreneurs—and a special invitation to Joe. Register as a Primary Member of 3M Mastermind—FREE. No strings attached. No charging your credit card later when you’ve forgotten all about it. Get real information so that you too can prove the mindless naysayers wrong about the strength and necessity of business owners. Simply go to www.3MMastermind.com

Entrepreneurs are the lifeblood of every economy in the world.
They are the fire behind invention.
They are the seeds of security.

Because of this unconquerable belief, Monetary Intelligence has paid enormous sums of money, put in countless hours with an army of researchers—and most of all their heart and commitment—to give today’s entrepreneurs the helping hand up they need. We’ve investigated a mountain of the “success systems” of gurus, experts, doctors, etc from all over the world. We’ve spent the last year implementing their theories and creating some of our own as a result.

Whether you’re in business or hoping to be, MI has created a training division, 3M Mastermind, to deliver substance to today’s frazzled business owners in the form of monthly live webinars and so much more.

We’ll prove to you your abilities now, for your market today.

Come off of the observation deck and take the wheel! Get access to your original content, exclusive training system for FREE right now! Go to http://www.3mmastermind/ to begin your journey with a partner who truly cares, and is willing to prove it. We’ve already invested in you. Your future success awaits.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Confessions of a “Normal Woman”

I admit that I’m not the most objective person to determine whether or not I truly am “normal.” In fact, I’m not sure that “normal” really exists out there anymore. Regardless, I’ve decided to share some of my closet hang-ups and let you decide. Will the feedback convey an accurate assessment? Probably not. I’m sure that my writings don’t necessarily attract “normal” individuals either.

Confession #1- I’m a judgmental driver. Everyone who passes me is an “idiot” and everyone who goes too slow is a “moron.” I caught myself mumbling these exact two accusations within 30 minutes of each other on my way home the other day. No wonder the confidence of mankind has dwindled lately. They’ve got unrealistic expectations thrust upon them by drivers like me.

Confession #2- I think people are attractive until I see them chomping gum Seriously. I watched an absolutely beautiful woman in line at the grocery store the other day transform herself from a Perfect 10 to a Negative 2 because she was chomping her gum like a cow munching on his cud. I don’t care how beautiful you are. Even if I was a dentist I would have no desire to see what you’re chewing in there!

I also loathe the snapping sound that folks make with their gum…especially when I can hear it all the way across the store- or worse, church. I’ve turned people away from a job interview simply because of the gum chewing (and I confess that I strongly encouraged an assistant to quit once I discovered that they constantly chewed with their mouth open. Do I really want to lose a business relationship that affects my entire staff all because someone can’t keep their lips together while enjoying a business lunch with one of my clients? You really don’t want to turn someone’s stomach when you’re attempting to wheel and deal, right?

Confession #3- I firmly believe that the civility of our society has plunged dramatically because of the common courtesies/decencies that many parents have failed to teach their children. And our entire nation is suffering as a result. People spend more money when you’re being nice to them. People pass on smiles when they get them. Instead we spend our Saturday errands going from place to place attempting to get over the last painful business encounter we just had at the last place.

Did this training get left up to Dear Abby somewhere?

A couple of Christmas’s ago a much younger sibling of mine was having a really hard time financially. Being plagued with a boundless Christmas Spirit I decided to play Santa that year. Even though I was raised by strict parents who firmly required us to be polite, be mindful of others around us, and to exert impeccable table manners at the risk of death, this particular sibling must have worn them down by the time she came along. Because after all of the gifts were handed out, there was not a single “thank you” from the sibling or any of her 5 children, and in fact, my husband and I were greeted with an annoying wail that that’s all there was!

Oh, and if you really want me at your bridal shower or your wedding, you’ll give me more than 48 hours notice. And when I do give you a gift, you’ll darn well send a thank you note! (I bet getting in the business of selling thank you cards is about as profitable as Lehman is right about now.)

Ok. I’m done with my rantings and ravings. I’ve finally let down my professional demeanor and expose to all of you the inner seethings. Either you’ll admit you share some similar feelings, or you may inform me that your confession is that you loathe reading confessions.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

You Can’t Fix Stupid

Yup. You may not be able to fix stupid, but in this case, I think it’s perfectly legal to kill it.

Wow! I thought the majority of discrimination had been eliminated nowadays. Clearly I’m wrong and somewhat naïve though. Can you believe it? American Express is now openly admitting that they are lowering their credit exposure to individuals based on whether or not they have a loan with a mortgage lender that ALSO lends to sub-prime candidates and if the client has the audacity to shop at stores where low income individuals also shop. And apparently they aren’t the only ones to enact such insulting practices in the credit card industry.

Wells Fargo used to be one of the most aggressive sub-prime lenders in the nation. They are soon to be poised as one of the largest banks with their takeover of Wachovia, even if only receiving a portion of the assets of that bank. And yet someone who qualifies for an “A Paper, Roll Out the Red Carpet loan” from Wells Fargo could be targeted with less favorable terms because of Wells Fargo’s subprime division.

Countrywide was very aggressive in the subprime market as well. And as you know, Countrywide has bit the dust. Regardless of the fact that A paper, reputable, and financially strong banks have purchased Countrywide’s mortgage assets, you could still be financially penalized because you have a loan with them. Ironic isn’t it? You can pay perfectly on your loan with absolutely no hiccups, but because the company you make your check out to every month has made questionable decisions in their lending practice, your access to credit is compromised?



Is it just me, or is this absolutely ridiculous? (Warning: Sarcastic tirade up ahead) Let’s compound the suffering of the American people by penalizing them for the actions of others yet one more way. And when they try to react to the economic crisis by shopping at Target or Wal-Mart to make their dollars stretch that much more, let’s assume that they should be treated as a trailer trash drug addict and credit derelicts and minimize their accessibility to credit. After all, drug addicts have to shop somewhere, right? And if you’re dumb enough to shop where the financially struggling do, then your access to credit should be minimized, if not taken away all together! And while were at it, we should also be take preemptive measures and round up and put to death anyone who has the name of Charles or Manson or Oswald- just to be safe, you know.

Yup. The dumb keep getting dumber folks. This outlandish decision has three Code Red ailments.

1. It holds the potential to increase the gap of distance between the wealthy and the other classes. Such a gap can foster a surge in pride and snobbery.
   
2. If affects the spending ability of the wealthy. And I'm telling you… the wealthy do not like to be told what to do with their money. The wealthy now have reason to literally FEAR shopping at Target or Wal-Mart. Even if they pronounce either store with a French accent, they could lose their access to credit as a result. Just in case you didn’t know, the wealthy have experienced an inflation ratio of 12% over the last few years which is as much as double or triple what the other classes have been subjected to for the goods and services they buy. Thus the wealthy are now bound to experience an even bigger inflation ratio as they will now be required to buy their everyday goods from more upscale stores, or risk the fate of lowered credit access. With this asinine decision, the wealthy are less likely to change their inflation rate any time soon.


3. And folks, like it or not, the wealthy provide jobs. That’s the 3rd ailment. So not only does this Nazi-styled discrimination practice harm the middle class in their ability to grow their businesses, it has the ability to affect the lower class as well, in their dependence on the wealthy for employment.
   
   My vote? I choose to stop rewarding stupidity right now by eliminating all of my credit card access. Will it be challenging at first? You betcha! It’s ingrained in me to perform my business transactions this way. But I’ll be darned if I let the Plastic Prince tell where I can or can’t shop. I look at it this way. Benjamin Franklin was one of the wealthiest and most successful business people in history. He did so without the Melamine Methodology, and dog gone it, so will I.
   
   Credit Cards. May they melt in peace.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Do the Math

Do the Math:

A very popular e-mail is making the circuit in the last several days espousing a new theory for what to do regarding the bail outs. The e-mail is as follows—however, there are some very grave errors in the proposed theory.


I'm against the $85,000,000,000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor of giving $85,000,000,000 to America in a We Deserve It Dividend. To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bona fide adults in the U.S.

Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man, woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up.

So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.

My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a We Deserve It Dividend.

Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%.

Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000,000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife has $595,000.00. What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?

• Pay off your mortgage – housing crisis solved


• Repay college loans – what a great boost to new grads
  
• Put away money for college – it'll be there


• Save in a bank – create money to loan to entrepreneurs.


• Buy a new car – create jobs
  
• Invest in the market – capital drives growth


• Pay for your parent's medical insurance – health care improve
  
• Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean – or else
  
  Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back. And of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces.
  
  If we're going to re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny $1000.00 ( 'vote buy' ) economic incentive.
  
  If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S Citizen 18+!
  
  As for AIG –
  Liquidate it. Sell off its parts.
  Let American General go back to being American General.
  Sell off the real estate.
  Let the private sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
  
  Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't.
  
  Sure it's a crazy idea that can 'never work.'
  
  But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
  
  How do you spell Economic Boom?
  
  I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion We Deserve It Dividend more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
  
  And remember, The Birk plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5 Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam.
  
  Ok. So here’s the problem. Many are forwarding this e-mail on to others (including me…*she says sheepishly* without doing the MATH. The math is not $425,000. It’s $425 dollars. And after taxes that won’t even pay for mortgage payment in most homes in this nation. The sorry thing is, and this includes me, is that so many times we as Americans do not demand the appropriate checks and balances necessary to truly be free. We are constantly subjected to numbers and so-called solutions which are not properly vetted, or disclosed to the American people. The lawmakers are constantly hiding this financial provision here and there. Frankly I firmly believe that if we had cause to pass a piece of legislation that laid out a woman’s right to life in the U.S. even after she was subjected to a rape, that some moronic lawmaker would refuse to pass it without sneaking some financial boon to himself or his cronies.
  
  I fully realize that not bailing out AIG, for example would create an enormous loss of wealth to many individuals who invested in AIG. Seeing that all over the news would pain be almost as much as witnessing the remains of a terrorist attack. The fact is, this mismanagement of funds is a terrorist attack on our nation’s backbone, but it’s perpetrated by big-wheeling deal makers who do not have appropriate accountability and oversight. While the retirement funds would be obliterated, you must understand that we’re already in an “Emporer’s New Clothes” scenario, folks. The retirements of the middle class have already dwindled down to virtually nil thanks to the devaluation of the dollar, inflation--which is orchestrated, and criminal mismanagement of funds. With us bailing out AIG we are in essence saying, yes, Mr/Ms. American citizen, you made a poor choice in your investment but the rest of the American people are going to atone for that error and pay for the mistake for you—even those who can’t even fathom ever owning a home, let alone an investment account of hundreds of thousands—AND we’re going to let the real perpetrators of the debacle walk or even salvage their big profits in doing so.
  
  Additionally, even if the numbers were real on this, it would only compound the problem of watering down the value of our currency which the Federal Reserve has already mastered quite well. Inflation IS a tax manipulated by those in power. And it’s a hefty one at that.
  
  Our currency is mismanaged, our taxes are mismanaged, and now when we discover just how badly our so-called backbone of the economy—Wall Street—has mismanaged their jobs, we’re compounding the problem.
  
  Mark my words. This debacle enslaves all middle and lower class tax payers even more harshly than if the true consequences were allowed to play out. At least then, those responsible would be forced to suffer the results of their actions. As a nation I believe we can suffer through the natural fall-out while being given the opportunity of a wake-up call. You can’t “repent” of your actions by forcing someone else to “atone” for you. (I believe there’s only one person who’s authorized to do that.) And yet that’s exactly what is being forced upon the American people.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Why SHOULD Wall Street tumble today?

Wall Street SHOULD tumble despite the AIG bailout

Anything other than a “Wall Street tumble” would be a deception on the public. Why? Because there is no financial benefit for the investors of our nation when the “Fed” bails out another business gone amuck. It’s a generic band-aid, initiated to continue the perpetration of a century long façade. Let me say this again loud and clear… the Federal Reserve is NOT a government entity. Our government leaders have no say in how it operates, and no jurisdiction over it. So how does it have any authority over the use of YOUR tax dollars?? And yet it was the tax dollars of U.S. citizens pledged for use of the Federal Reserve for this AIG bailout and the so-called $70 billion cash infusion that occurred yesterday.

I’m having a hard time understanding how so little financial intellect can be present in the minds of our media reporters? They can get heavily involved in what celebrity was caught kissing whom, what crime rate is on the rise, whether or not a woman or a mother is fit to run a big business or serve in a major government position, but they can’t see the asinine proposal of our tax dollars being given to a foreign entity to bail out another big business gone amuck?

Since when did business failure deserve a reward? Let the consequences happen as they may to these big businesses. Give the American investors pause for more prudence in their investment decision making.

Why is it that our nation’s leaders are allocating our tax dollars to a non-governmental entity to bailout a company most of us could care less about? Since when does failure to operate a business properly merit the pity and hard-earned dollars of American citizens? I know of hundreds of business owners who have made mistakes in running their business; and not only does no one come to their aid one iota, but because they are self-employed business owners, even in a crisis they are unable to get access to simple financial benefits such as food stamps or Medicaid (that even illegal immigrants can get) when necessary! The irony is that small and medium sized businesses contribute the largest portion of tax dollars to these programs than even large corporations- yes more than Merrill Lynch and AIG put together! Do we simply discount or forget that these struggling businesses may have had a wonderful 5 year run previously in which they contributed to the economy by providing honest jobs to dozens of employees, tax dollars, vendor service dollars, etc?

Stop the insanity. Get educated about what’s really going on and then voice your opinion in these matters to the government leaders just as fervently as you would cry for help to save your family, your home, and your freedom.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Legal Slavery in Our Borders

Opinions abound concerning the conspiracies that may have been present during the run-up to the Great Depression. Regardless of your beliefs concerning these conspiracy theories, you must acknowledge that several privately-held companies benefited greatly from the results of the Great Depression upon the people of the United States, in general.

How often does history repeat itself?

Current headlines read:
“Fed’s Regulatory Powers May Expand After Crisis”
“Fed Expands Lender of Last Resort Role Even As It Draws Line on Bailouts”
“WaMu’s Decline Values Lender Close to JPMorgan’s Takeover Offer in March”

If you are aware you will see these headlines as ominous indications of the future.

How much more power can be consolidated in the overgrown giant we know as the “Fed” before it owns us lock, stock, and barrel? Or, is it already too late to even consider that?

As the Fed grabs for more control at each and every turn (notice that, in the long-run, the results do not generally help the public but specific, private shareholders of entities shrouded in mystery), and as super-giants such as JPMorgan and others grow in leaps and bounds by buying smaller entities for a steal at the expense of the public, the question must be asked: Was our current situation engineered from the beginning?

How much imagination must one have to believe that the Fed and its “coordinators” intentionally made credit far too easy to obtain in our society in an effort to run-up prices (which empties the pockets of the public) and then intentionally began a series of credit-tightening (which inevitably results in defaults) in a concerted effort to relieve the American public of its hard-earned wealth (while leaving the public holding with a rather enslaving bag of debt)?

History may well tell the true story (albeit re-written to please its authors), but today one can only guess at the intentions of those in true power. Today’s best advice could be stated “Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing”, in an effort to put all individuals on notice that the actions of the Fed and its consorts may not be in your best interests.

But how can you possibly avoid this uninvited impact in your life? GET OUT OF DEBT, even if it represents a small interest rate on your home, eliminate it. As long as you are paying on debts you are playing in their game. You can’t get out of the game until you get out of the debt. Debt requires you to pay interest on air. This is in addition to the heavy interest you pay on the “air” of our governments spending in the form of taxes and the so-called social security income (which is also a tax, folks, not an entitlement). You might as well be paying a fee for every time you exhale rather than be in debt. At least that provides you with a necessary freedom.

This may sound trite, but my emphasis here is to get you to realize just how enslaving this national debt and reliance on the Fed is. And I do mean SLAVERY. You are required to work through May just to pay your portion of taxes to the government. While it may not be the same as the 20 year requirement for indentured servants in the South, it’s still is a heavy toll. I hope that my sharing with you these alternative views may help you realize that you may be participating in game that you never wanted to play.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

Would I Pay This Person?

“Would I pay this person’s paycheck before my own mortgage?”

As an employer, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to make awful hiring mistakes. I can’t really blame the individuals and their weaknesses, because I feel like it’s my responsibility to properly vet those issues during the interview process. But I’ve recently had an epiphany that I actually chose to act on and it’s made all of the difference in the world. This recommendation applies to both the employer AND the employee.

To Employers, if you are not in love with them, don’t hire them. This is your business, your livelihood we’re talking about here. As a small or even a medium sized business you’re susceptible to financial volatility. Clearly things do not always go rosy and there may be a time when you get paid last, or even not at all while you keep your staff on so that you can get to the next paycheck. So there are two issues that you need to consider here. One of them you need to consider before you hire them and the other you need to consider after you hire them.

1) Before you hire them, you’ve got to look at their attributes and literally ask yourself the question, “Would I pay this person’s salary before my own mortgage?” Why? Because frankly such a decision may need to be made at some point in the future. Even if you never have to make such a decision (and let’s hope that you never do) you still should only reward your unique risks and responsibilities as a business owner with quality individuals who enhance your work path, not detract from it. And if you aren’t able to see how they would be an attribute to the financial strength of your business and the tasks that you need accomplished, then don’t hire them.

Don’t run your business like a popularity contest. You are the president/CEO/Owner of a business, not the President of Please Like Me, Inc. You owe it to the rest of your team members to ensure that you do not bring on anyone who compromises the strength of your company’s financial standing, because if your company isn’t profitable everybody suffers. If you aren’t in love with them when they are supposed to be putting on their best behavior and only have to “fake it” for a few interviews, then for crying out loud, what makes you think it’s going to get better when they are in the midst of the daily business stresses and handling critical responsibilities?

Remember, the enemy of best is good. Don’t go with the “good” prospective employee just because you need to fill a position. That will cost you a lot of money and headaches in the long run. Be patient. Wait for the “best” person to manifest your wish list requirements to you. In today’s economy, being able to offer someone a job is an asset that should be appreciated by any prospective clients.

2) After you’ve hired them, you have every right to expect them to proactively contribute to your bottom line. In other words, each employee you have on board should be a revenue generator in some way or another for your business. If not, you cannot afford to have them.

So how does this apply to employees? Well for starters it gives you great insight into the thought process of successful business owners. And after all, isn’t that the kind of company you want to work for? Keep in mind that you’re obligated to work and then get paid. Your employment should only be contingent on your value to the company for which you work. This does not mean you have to be perfect. Plenty of businesses aren’t and they still manage quite well. But you do need to realize that for every task you slough off or perform incorrectly you are costing your employer money. And if they didn’t have to pay for your errors or inefficiencies, they just may be able to pass some of the wealth on to your salary. The question is does your work ethic and capabilities merit you being paid prior to your owner’s own mortgage? The answer is only a “yes” if they can’t afford to do without you.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.

American Taxation

A Double Whammy!

As an American, I feel that it is absolutely irresponsible to not understand how money really works in this nation. A full comprehension of this topic will actually instill a more prudent behavior in our own financial habits - at least that’s my belief. Such a behavior will lead to less anxiety, stress, and chaos in our lives.

For starters, those of you who would mistakenly pipe up that the Canadian dollar is now worth the same as a U.S. dollar as a result of our deficit; you are missing a large chunk of the rest of the story. The fact is our dollar is devalued because there is an abundance of U.S. currency in circulation. The value of the dollar is directly related to supply and demand. For instance, remember when cell phones were first sold in our nation, the prices were prohibitive for many. However, now that they are more abundant and commonplace, the prices have lowered to as little as “free” in many instances.

It used to be that the Federal Reserve published a report which contained an M3 number. This figure would convey to the public just how much money was actually in circulation. Mysteriously, the Federal Reserve has elected to no longer provide the public with that figure. Thus their printing presses can continue to roll out currency as they see fit, watering down the value of our dollar. Our foreign nations who trade heavily with us are not imbecilic economists. Clearly the only reason to NOT provide such a number is to hide the true value of our currency. And as such, international trading with us has been subdued.

This is Economics 101…(although not likely to be taught as such.) Suppose I was investing in fine art. Wouldn’t it be reasonable for me to know just how many pieces an artist created? Of course. As it would determine the value of any art I purchased by this artist. So why would anyone invest in a commodity who’s true value cannot be rightly determined?

Be aware that the Federal Reserve is a nation unto itself. It is NOT part of the U.S. Government. Sure the Federal Reserve Chairman is appointed by the U.S. president, but are you certain that whom he appoints is of his own choosing? You keep spouting how we need to eliminate our dependence on foreign oil; how about eliminating our dependence on the foreign nation that rules our currency? All of the U.S. Presidents who have attempted to stand up to and eliminate this cartel dependence have met with serious demise. (Kennedy, Reagan for example.)

If our nation’s currency can simply be printed up in accordance to the Feds whims, with no checks and balances, then the value of the dollar is questionable. Thus in my mind it behooves us to incur as little debt as possible so that we remove ourselves from this shell game as much as possible.

Why is our budget deficit $407 billion dollars? Because those that play with the money only see it as Monopoly money. They figure they can simply print more. “Let’s just call the Federal Reserve and ask them to loan us more money.” Where does this money come from? A check? Where is the money that backs up the check? It’s not money, it’s a printing press. Unfortunately, it’s REAL hours we work for every year through the month of May to pay for our nation’s REAL debt. That debt is paid for by the sweat of our brows. Our federal income taxes do not go for road improvements, social security, or Medicaid. It all goes to pay the INTEREST on the debt that our nation’s “leaders” have imposed upon us. I have no offense in paying for the services that I require. But unfortunately I’m not receiving the benefit of those services. I cannot count on Social Security when I need to retire, neither can 80+% of all retirement-aged Americans. I could go on and on here with the façade of services we’ve been led to believe our tax dollars pay for, but the bottom line is we’ve had very little say in what our tax dollars pay buy, or how they enslave us. Now that’s what I call “taxation without representation.” And not only are we being arduously taxed, but those dollars with which we pay our taxes are being destabilized dramatically. A Double Whammy!

So here’s my solution, as a patriotic American I say let’s be proud to be American and let’s take advantage of the freedoms that we still have in this country. This doesn’t mean we have to like what they do with our financial matters, but fortunately they don’t have ultimate control. This nation was built on the backs of visionary entrepreneurs and it’s future lies in the hands of those same visionary, determined hearts. I feel like so many of us get so tired keeping up with our business and keeping our heads above water that we forget that we are very powerful in determining our outcome. So learn what game you’re really playing in, and learn how to leverage your entrepreneurial inclinations to maximize your prosperity so you don’t need their credit.

If you would like to increase your prosperity, join the Money, Mind, Marketing consulting program today. This is the only complete consulting program which shows you how to leverage your knowledge to create unprecedented business results, and to live a life of true prosperity, not just one on paper. Sure marketing knowledge is important, but what good is it if it’s unaccompanied by a sound understanding of fiscal matters as well. By learning from a true expert and my innovative money strategies, you can expect to increase your business revenue at little as 20% to as much as 600% in the next 12 months! Simply go to http://www.moneymindmarketing.com/ to begin.

You may also desire to subscribe to the nation’s only non-politically or fiscally motivated publication, Monetary Intelligence Magazine. Go to http://www.monetaryintel.com/ to register for your marketing, money and mind mastery without the fluff.

Copyright 2009 Kellene Bishop. All rights reserved. You are welcome to repost this information so long as it is credited to Kellene Bishop.