My guests are ready and eager to go. The day before they had a count of four to three each. We make one stop at a convenience store to pick up last minute items and a quick coffee to go. We drive up the Kalum Lake road for five miles, stop at our shop and pick up the 19-foot drift boat then drive the nine miles to the launch site. Everyone’s in great spirits, laughing and joking all the way and only serious topic is sportfishing. What a great way to make a living.
I back the boat to the edge of the river and within 10 minutes we’re drifting. The drift is five miles long. Lines are made ready. Today we’re pulling plugs or using jet planers to pull spin & glow and eggs. The plug we’re using is a #20 hot-shot. Any color is fine as long as they shine and look new. Hook size is a #3 Gamakatsu. I use a size “0” jet planer. Spin & Glow #4 combined with #4 Gamakatsu hook. A little bigger hook is used with spin & glow so that an egg bag can be added, if desired. All hooks are tied with the “egg loop” knot and a four or five foot leader is tied between the jet planer and spin & glow. Reels are usually filled to capacity with quality 20-pound test line.
To keep track of our daily catches when pulling plugs I have devised the following system: If we had an eight to six day, it would mean that we hooked a total of 14 fish and landed six. The number eight on the left is the fish we hooked but lost and the number six on the right is the fish that we landed.
Time 9:20 AM. Three bank fishermen were plunked-out at the put-in, so we floated down to an area we call the pensioners hole, a distance of 100 yards and started fishing there. I told them to let out 60-feet of line. All three rods had hot-shots on. Lines went out quickly and I started to work the hole. As I started my swing to the right - POW - the rod on the left doubled over and we were into our first fish after only 10 minutes. The two other rods were pulled in, clearing the way for Les to play the fish.
Within seconds we all realized we had a powerful Chinook hooked. I slipped the boat down-stream and hit the beach approximately 200 yards from where the fish was first hooked. Les jumped out of the boat onto the shore and continued to fight the fish. Cameras were clicking and videos rolling.
The fish seemed to stop fighting but there was still a lot of pressure on the line as if it has sat on the bottom and decided not to move. This is a common Chinook trait. After 10 minutes we realized it was tangled with some line that had previously been broken off. The only thing we could do was get back in the boat, row out and hope we could get the mess off. Les pulled on the line to its breaking point and to our amazement and delight the other line broke and Les still had the fish. Back to shore we go, Les continued to play this fish and within another 10 minutes he had landed a 30-pound doe Chinook, bright silver, fresh from the ocean 114 miles away. So now our count was zero to one.
We celebrated as I pushed the drift-boat back into the stream and drifted to the next hole. This is a slow moving pool with a rocky tail-out. We started letting the plugs out high in the pool as not to spook the holding fish.
When all three lines are out 100 feet and in the center of the pool, I pull on the oars and they dive under. I start to sweep the pool. After four or five passes we are almost ready to give up and float onto the next pool when rod one doubles over. Instantly the line goes slack. When Les reels in the slack line a powerful Chinook rips off 50-yards of line and goes streaking through the tail-out. In a scramble, the other two lines are cleared out of the way. This fish, landed at the top of the next pool, weighed approximately 35-pounds and since Les already had taken his Chinook for the day, this fish was released, but not before pictures and videos were taken. Time 10:30 AM. The count is now zero to two and off we go.
Since this fish was landed at the top of this pool I decided to fish the lower end. Lines are stripped out on the fast side, and when all were out, I slipped down 50 feet to position the plugs just above the large rocky tail-out and started sweeping to the left. The plugs only fish effectively for one or two minutes because the back-eddy catches them and moves them upstream. After one sweep and no hits, I decide to try one more time. Lines are brought in and let out again. I make the sweep again. The plugs are coming into the slot when line one doubles over with a fish. Seconds later rod three does the same. At first we think its the same fish but we soon realize we have a double-header. We landed two very nice Steelhead weighing about 12 to 14-pounds each. Both were released. What a great day, we had not been fishing for more than two hours and we landed two chinook and two steelhead. The count is zero to four. Time is 11 AM.
We float down a mile passing over a long stretch of low, fast water and around a corner to the kiss hole. While approaching it we can see Chinook rolling on the right side. The kiss hole is a large deep run so I instruct my guests to snap on the jet planers and hook on egg bags. Eggs work well on spawning salmon. We let out 100 feet of line at the top of the run. I start working oars, moving the drift boat to the right, making sure the bait is presented where we’ve seen the rolling fish. It didn’t take long, two sweeps and a very large Chinook took the bait. Rod two was into his first fish. I stayed high in the pool, right side, moved very close to shore and dropped anchor in two feet of water. My guests played the fish from the boat while I went to shore to get some good camera angles. After 30 minutes of pumping Dave finally lands a 50-pound doe.
Score zero to five. Time 12:10 PM. It’s lunch time and I offer my guests the choice of a nice shore lunch complete with camp fire, which takes time, or we all can make a sandwich on board and keep fishing. It was unanimous - keep fishing!
I float down to the next run and keep the planers on because this is a long run too. I started at the very top and worked down. Twenty minutes had passed since I started fishing this run. When were almost ready to reel in, rod two buckles over and we’re into another fish. The fish goes streaking through the tail-out and managed to wrap itself around a rock and broke off. Score one to five. Time 12:45 PM.
We float down through the shoot and slowly I row a long calm stretch. The sun is shining, the fishing so far has been excellent and everyone is in good spirits. As we approach the tail-out we notice Chinook rolling on the left side in a deep slot just above the tail-out. I know from experience that the Steelhead hold on the right side on a gravel bar we call the reds. Planers are taken off in favor of #20 Special Edition (SE) hot-shots. One hundred feet of line is reeled out for all three rods and I start sweeping between rolling chinook and spawning steelhead. Rod three jumps and immediately goes slack. We realize the fish had spit the hook. The hot-shot of rod three starts to shake again. I row the drift-boat to the left and before I get to the middle of the pool rod three rips over, just like the fish had been following it, and almost breaks the rod in half as line goes screaming out. We’re sure that this fish is hooked well but our luck is running out - within seconds the line goes slack, another fish lost and we’re not even sure if it was a chinook or steelhead. Score three to five.
By now we must have spooked the fish so we decide to move on. Everyone is feeling down a bit from losing the last three fish, but we all agreed with the old say, “that’s fishing.”
As we float out of the run I navigate the drift-boat through a shallow rocky section into the next pool called the Jones’s hole. As we float around the corner we observe two bald eagles that I see almost every drift. Hot-shots are left on. We spend another 30 minutes sweeping back and forth fishing but couldn’t raise a bite. Off we go through more shallow water, bumping rocks, trying to avoid getting hung-up.
The next pool is called the double-header and is the half-way point on the drift. The pool got its name from the fact that on one drift we had hooked and landed two chinook at the same time.
The plugs are unsnapped and replaced by the jet planer. This is a short, deep pool whose water circles to the left. Lines have to be kept short to 50 feet and the jet planer is set for the deepest dive. We usually see Chinook rolling here, but didn’t observe any today. After 20 minutes of no hits, we decide to move on in favor of a run that has better conditions for plugging. We kept the jet planers on and adjusted them for shallow dive for the next run. Hooks are checked and sharpened. Fresh egg bags are put on. All this extra attention and good fishing habits didn’t do us any good because we didn’t get a bit after 20 minutes. I float down to the next run and lines are set out again. Ten minutes pass when rod three buckles over just as I was pulling hard on the right oar. Rod three nearly touches the bow of the boat. Panic is on again! After a 30 minute battle a bright silver 65-pound doe chinook is landed on the left shore. The party is on, especially after John released this big fish. Score now is three to six. Time 2:30 PM.
We float a half mile down a stretch of shallow, fast water to a big pool and holding area called the horseshoe. We see chinook rolling everywhere. All tackle is checked and 100 feet of line is fed out. After 10 minutes rod three rips over. John in ecstatic! This is his second fish in 20 minutes. After a short fight he lands a nice 15-pound doe steelhead that also was released. Count three to seven. We normally would spend more time at the horseshoe but since we’ve spent so much time landing fish we had to keep moving.
The next run is usually a very good run and sure enough we had two good rips, one on rod one and the other on rod three - John almost jumped out of his skin! Both fish were lost after a few seconds. Score five to seven. Time 3:30 PM. We’re on the move again to a run called lower rock alley. Once again, we had a good rip on rod three but the fish got off. Count six to seven. We float into a good pool we call the loser hole for the time we lost six chinook in this hole before landing the seventh.
Planers are removed in favor of hot-shots. After three sweeps rod one gets a good hit and the line goes slack. Les winds the reel like crazy but the fish has gotten off. Count seven to seven. Time 4:45 PM.
We make two more sweeps before we pull out of this hole. No more hits. We’re plugging the last hole called last chance. Everyone agreed they didn’t care if they had anymore hits because already the day was fabulous. They no sooner said this when rod two doubles over and the line goes screaming out. Another large chinook is on the hook. I beach the drift-boat and chase the fish. Dave ends up landed it at the drift-boat take-out. A few young kids were there watching the show and were amazed when Dave finally beached this 50-pound doe chinook - and released it. Count five to eight. Time 5:30 PM. My guests all laughed when I said, “Are we all done at five to eight?”
My guests gave me a hearty, “yes, we’re done for today - but there’s still tomorrow.”
We had a pretty good day. We hooked 13 fish and landed three steelhead and five chinook.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
Reaching The Top of Page One In Google In As Little As One Week
When you have the right information, climbing to the top of Google in a very short period of time is entirely within your reach. I am living proof. Two weeks ago, I launched my new website, and now I have multiple listings on page one of the Google search results.
An Empirical Truth
Scientists make their way in the world relying upon empirical truths. For those who are unaware, an empirical truth can be defined as, "verifiable or provable by means of repeatable observation or experiment."
In essence, if you can observe it once, then it is interesting. But, when you can repeat the experiment and achieve the same observations multiple times, then you have evidence of an empirical truth.
>From my own observations, what I am about to tell you is an empirical truth, because I have observed it happen again and again.
The Challenge In Exposing The Truth
Anytime someone writes about how to influence placement in the search engines, the writer faces a difficult choice.
In order to light the path of those who come after the writer, the writer must provide some kind of proof as to how the methods work and what kinds of results the writer was able to achieve using the methods.
Introducing The Quandary
In order to believe my story, many people want to see my keywords so they can personally verify my story by reviewing the Google search results. Although you may not be competing directly with my website and the keywords on which I rank, one can almost guarantee that my competitors may stumble over my tutorial at some point in the future.
In other words, if I told you that I was trying to rank for the keyword "cock-a-doodle-doo", then you (the reader) could validate my results. At the same time, my competitor might discover this article and decide to use my methods and my keywords to outrank my own website in the search engines.
This actually happened to one of my mentors. In a public discussion of these same methods, he had given a bone to the readers of the forum where he was participating in a discussion. Within eight weeks, two of his top competitors held the top two spots for his keyword phrase, and after a five-year run at number one in Google, he suddenly found himself sitting in the number three spot.
So, the question is how I tell my story in a way that will help you to also see the light, without giving away the light bulb...
Have A Little Faith In Those Who Are Looking Out For You
Some of you may choose to have faith in the story that I tell. Others will choose to deny my methods, on the principle that they cannot see my results for themselves.
All I ask is that you have a little faith in my story. Then run your own test. Your test will not require a major investment, but when you see your website climbing from nowhere to somewhere in the Google results, you will be glad that you took my story on a little bit of faith.
Some Background
One of my mentors, Bill Platt, has been telling me about these methods for years. But to be honest, the picture just was not clear in my brain, for longer than I would care to admit.
Now and again, I would read something by one of the Internet gurus, and they would tell that they used these methods themselves. When the really rich people on the Internet tell you something about how to perform well on the Internet, it has always been my position that you should listen. I listened; well, I mostly listened anyway.
I hooked up with Bill shortly after having been told the importance of article marketing. Bill seemed to have the answers concerning the article-marketing model, having been in the business himself for a number of years, through his website (http://www.thephantomwriters.com).
Bill always told me that writing articles was about generating traffic and sales from the placement of my articles in ezines. He had also told me that if I played the game right, I could even benefit the rankings of my website in the search engines.
I started using Bill's article distribution service to put my articles into circulation.
Bill had also advised that his clients, who get the greatest benefit from article marketing, use multiple systems to distribute their articles. He advised that Willie Crawford (http://www.gitofftheporch.com) was one of the Internet guru's who used more than one distribution service to put his articles into the wild.
Bill said that using more than one service was a good thing, because most article distribution services have their own unique reach, enabling the writer to get published in more ezines and on more websites. He emphasized that the goal should be to get as many people to your website as possible, using your articles as a method for introducing the reader to your website.
Beware Of Your Own Smartness
After using Bill's article distribution services for a few months, I had the privilege of reading John Reese's Traffic Secrets (http://www.trafficsecrets.com). John offered many useful tips for a successful online business, but one piece of advice he offered I implemented immediately.
John emphasized the importance of tracking our results. He said that in order to see what is successful, we must have a method in place to enable us to track where our traffic came from. Suddenly, I realized that although I knew that my website had been driving a lot of traffic, I had really no idea where that traffic was coming from or its cause.
Let me clarify that a bit. I knew that most of my traffic was coming from the large numbers of articles that I had distributed through Bill's service and the service of one of his competitors (http://www.isnare.com). But, I did not know which articles were generating the bulk of my traffic.
So, I followed John's advice and bought a software package designed to help me track my results (http://www.dynatracker.com). Then, I told Bill that from that day forward, we would need to use tracking URL's with all of the articles I distributed through his service.
Bill agreed that tracking was important, but he suggested that there are better ways to track results than the one I was proposing. I listened to John, but I did not fully listen to Bill's advice. Looking back, I kick myself daily for not listening to Bill in that one moment.
Tracking Your Article Results
Bill had always told me that using the Dyna Tracker was a good product for tracking my results, but it had an inherent problem. That problem is that I would be passing the search engine Link Value from my articles to my tracking software and not to the individual pages of my website.
If only I would have listened... I ran a full-year worth of articles with the Dyna Tracker links in my resource boxes. While Bill was telling me to dump the Dyna Tracker links, I was busy praising the value of the data I collected from the software.
One Test Blew My Mind
On one of my regular phone calls with Bill, I told him that I was launching a new website to complement what I was already doing. I asked Bill if he had any recommendations that he would give me on the new site.
Bill told me that I would not like his answer, but if I wanted to hear it, he would tell me.
I have to be honest, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I braced for his comments.
He told me that I should get back to basics. He told me that I already knew from experience that articles would help me to drive traffic to my website. I did know that. Bill recommended that I do two articles per week for twelve weeks. I have done that before, so I knew that I could get good results from that advice. He told me to use more than one article distribution service to put those articles in the wild. I followed that advice as well.
Then Bill got to the stomach punch. Bill told me to throw away my Dyna Tracker and provide direct URL links to my website. He also told me to keyword some of those links to my website, for the purpose of influencing my search placement for those keywords.
He told me to test the idea and to measure my results in just a few weeks. He told me if the methodology did not work for me, then I could start using my Dyna Tracker again.
He also suggested that I should use his Link Building system to develop 100 inbound links to my website, targeting the keywords that I felt would be important to my business. (http://www.linksandtraffic.com) I figured it was worth a try. Bill had never led me astray before, and I did not expect he was doing so then.
The Results
Within just a few weeks, I was getting a good amount of traffic to my new website. Strangely, I found that I was getting far more traffic from the search engines than I ever had before, yet the website was almost brand new! That just flew in the face of that sandbox theory we all hear about.
So, I started testing the keywords that Bill targeted in his linking job on my behalf. Wow. I found my brand new website sitting in the #12 spot in the Google search results on a two-word keyword that is actually pretty competitive. I also found the keywords we targeted in the campaign sitting in the #1, #1, and the #3 spot in the Google search results. I also found many page one results in the Yahoo search results as well.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! The light bulb went on, finally.
Then two weeks ago, I started another new campaign for my newest website. Within 24 hours of completing that website, I had distributed my first article promoting the website. Within 8 days of releasing that site to the public, I also had page one and page two listings for a wide range of keywords that I have so far targeted for my new website.
When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do
I mentioned three of my favorite teachers in this article: Bill Platt, Willy Crawford, and John Reese. I felt all three needed a mention, because all three have taught me things that have helped me to make money online. If you would like to learn from their expertise yourself, just Google their names.
The most important thing that I have learned since starting my website is that if I want to get rich online, I need to listen to those who are already making money online.
My hope is that you will listen to them too, so you can join us at the top.
An Empirical Truth
Scientists make their way in the world relying upon empirical truths. For those who are unaware, an empirical truth can be defined as, "verifiable or provable by means of repeatable observation or experiment."
In essence, if you can observe it once, then it is interesting. But, when you can repeat the experiment and achieve the same observations multiple times, then you have evidence of an empirical truth.
>From my own observations, what I am about to tell you is an empirical truth, because I have observed it happen again and again.
The Challenge In Exposing The Truth
Anytime someone writes about how to influence placement in the search engines, the writer faces a difficult choice.
In order to light the path of those who come after the writer, the writer must provide some kind of proof as to how the methods work and what kinds of results the writer was able to achieve using the methods.
Introducing The Quandary
In order to believe my story, many people want to see my keywords so they can personally verify my story by reviewing the Google search results. Although you may not be competing directly with my website and the keywords on which I rank, one can almost guarantee that my competitors may stumble over my tutorial at some point in the future.
In other words, if I told you that I was trying to rank for the keyword "cock-a-doodle-doo", then you (the reader) could validate my results. At the same time, my competitor might discover this article and decide to use my methods and my keywords to outrank my own website in the search engines.
This actually happened to one of my mentors. In a public discussion of these same methods, he had given a bone to the readers of the forum where he was participating in a discussion. Within eight weeks, two of his top competitors held the top two spots for his keyword phrase, and after a five-year run at number one in Google, he suddenly found himself sitting in the number three spot.
So, the question is how I tell my story in a way that will help you to also see the light, without giving away the light bulb...
Have A Little Faith In Those Who Are Looking Out For You
Some of you may choose to have faith in the story that I tell. Others will choose to deny my methods, on the principle that they cannot see my results for themselves.
All I ask is that you have a little faith in my story. Then run your own test. Your test will not require a major investment, but when you see your website climbing from nowhere to somewhere in the Google results, you will be glad that you took my story on a little bit of faith.
Some Background
One of my mentors, Bill Platt, has been telling me about these methods for years. But to be honest, the picture just was not clear in my brain, for longer than I would care to admit.
Now and again, I would read something by one of the Internet gurus, and they would tell that they used these methods themselves. When the really rich people on the Internet tell you something about how to perform well on the Internet, it has always been my position that you should listen. I listened; well, I mostly listened anyway.
I hooked up with Bill shortly after having been told the importance of article marketing. Bill seemed to have the answers concerning the article-marketing model, having been in the business himself for a number of years, through his website (http://www.thephantomwriters.com).
Bill always told me that writing articles was about generating traffic and sales from the placement of my articles in ezines. He had also told me that if I played the game right, I could even benefit the rankings of my website in the search engines.
I started using Bill's article distribution service to put my articles into circulation.
Bill had also advised that his clients, who get the greatest benefit from article marketing, use multiple systems to distribute their articles. He advised that Willie Crawford (http://www.gitofftheporch.com) was one of the Internet guru's who used more than one distribution service to put his articles into the wild.
Bill said that using more than one service was a good thing, because most article distribution services have their own unique reach, enabling the writer to get published in more ezines and on more websites. He emphasized that the goal should be to get as many people to your website as possible, using your articles as a method for introducing the reader to your website.
Beware Of Your Own Smartness
After using Bill's article distribution services for a few months, I had the privilege of reading John Reese's Traffic Secrets (http://www.trafficsecrets.com). John offered many useful tips for a successful online business, but one piece of advice he offered I implemented immediately.
John emphasized the importance of tracking our results. He said that in order to see what is successful, we must have a method in place to enable us to track where our traffic came from. Suddenly, I realized that although I knew that my website had been driving a lot of traffic, I had really no idea where that traffic was coming from or its cause.
Let me clarify that a bit. I knew that most of my traffic was coming from the large numbers of articles that I had distributed through Bill's service and the service of one of his competitors (http://www.isnare.com). But, I did not know which articles were generating the bulk of my traffic.
So, I followed John's advice and bought a software package designed to help me track my results (http://www.dynatracker.com). Then, I told Bill that from that day forward, we would need to use tracking URL's with all of the articles I distributed through his service.
Bill agreed that tracking was important, but he suggested that there are better ways to track results than the one I was proposing. I listened to John, but I did not fully listen to Bill's advice. Looking back, I kick myself daily for not listening to Bill in that one moment.
Tracking Your Article Results
Bill had always told me that using the Dyna Tracker was a good product for tracking my results, but it had an inherent problem. That problem is that I would be passing the search engine Link Value from my articles to my tracking software and not to the individual pages of my website.
If only I would have listened... I ran a full-year worth of articles with the Dyna Tracker links in my resource boxes. While Bill was telling me to dump the Dyna Tracker links, I was busy praising the value of the data I collected from the software.
One Test Blew My Mind
On one of my regular phone calls with Bill, I told him that I was launching a new website to complement what I was already doing. I asked Bill if he had any recommendations that he would give me on the new site.
Bill told me that I would not like his answer, but if I wanted to hear it, he would tell me.
I have to be honest, a knot formed in the pit of my stomach as I braced for his comments.
He told me that I should get back to basics. He told me that I already knew from experience that articles would help me to drive traffic to my website. I did know that. Bill recommended that I do two articles per week for twelve weeks. I have done that before, so I knew that I could get good results from that advice. He told me to use more than one article distribution service to put those articles in the wild. I followed that advice as well.
Then Bill got to the stomach punch. Bill told me to throw away my Dyna Tracker and provide direct URL links to my website. He also told me to keyword some of those links to my website, for the purpose of influencing my search placement for those keywords.
He told me to test the idea and to measure my results in just a few weeks. He told me if the methodology did not work for me, then I could start using my Dyna Tracker again.
He also suggested that I should use his Link Building system to develop 100 inbound links to my website, targeting the keywords that I felt would be important to my business. (http://www.linksandtraffic.com) I figured it was worth a try. Bill had never led me astray before, and I did not expect he was doing so then.
The Results
Within just a few weeks, I was getting a good amount of traffic to my new website. Strangely, I found that I was getting far more traffic from the search engines than I ever had before, yet the website was almost brand new! That just flew in the face of that sandbox theory we all hear about.
So, I started testing the keywords that Bill targeted in his linking job on my behalf. Wow. I found my brand new website sitting in the #12 spot in the Google search results on a two-word keyword that is actually pretty competitive. I also found the keywords we targeted in the campaign sitting in the #1, #1, and the #3 spot in the Google search results. I also found many page one results in the Yahoo search results as well.
Cock-a-doodle-doo! The light bulb went on, finally.
Then two weeks ago, I started another new campaign for my newest website. Within 24 hours of completing that website, I had distributed my first article promoting the website. Within 8 days of releasing that site to the public, I also had page one and page two listings for a wide range of keywords that I have so far targeted for my new website.
When In Rome, Do As The Romans Do
I mentioned three of my favorite teachers in this article: Bill Platt, Willy Crawford, and John Reese. I felt all three needed a mention, because all three have taught me things that have helped me to make money online. If you would like to learn from their expertise yourself, just Google their names.
The most important thing that I have learned since starting my website is that if I want to get rich online, I need to listen to those who are already making money online.
My hope is that you will listen to them too, so you can join us at the top.
How To Get Started In Spirituality - Part 5
Things are a little bit crazy out here. 1386 messages in my inbox as of writing this email to you . Few are happy that I am not going to write back again and they do not have to read my long emails. But for every one who felt uncomfortable being on my list there were ten who wanted me to continue writing forever. I wish I could cut paste each and every one of those emails both good and bad so you can see for yourself. I might do that in the near future…
My strength lies in transparency. Not of the body, not even of the mind but of the thoughts which collide within my being. I spend a lot of time in cleansing my thoughts, the lens through which I see the universe. The more I cleanse it the more I feel at peace with myself. I do not sit at a place with eyes closed and pray to God or the higher force to come down and bless me. I have done that and I know nothing happens… There are people who have done that for five decades and still nothing has happened and they are the same guys who run many world famous meditation centers all across the world. Meditation has become more of a lifestyle than a life force.
John once told me that the longest conversations we have is the conversation we have with ourselves. The tiny mind producing a million thoughts. Strange but true …. One of the guys called me last week and told me “Vish I have practiced TM (Transcendental Meditation ) for fifteen years so what is this thing you are talking about. What is it going to do that TM cannot do”
And you know I was wondering in my mind without any offence to this guy because I too have gone through all is ” Look at the damage that TM has done to him. If he really had known everything he would never have called and asked such a stupid question. 15yrs of meditation he should have been a power house by now and look what has happened to him. The Sun has lifted its hands from this child….”
Why am I telling you all this? To caution you that meditation is not a lifestyle it is a life force. That reading a book or attending a seminar is not a style statement . Did you know that only 5% of the people who buy books actually open the book and read a few pages. Did you know that only 2% of the people infact read the book cover to cover? Why because carrying the book has become a life style like carrying empty minds. The same happens with seminar. The same happens with our life once we wake up in the morning.
Everyone around me ran for a lifestyle running after money, health and relationships. I too did that for a while but then I stopped still for a while and said to myself ” All that I want is I want my thoughts to be rich, healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought”
And so my work began. With a four year old son(who is now seven, I am blessed to be his dad), with my wife who never understood anything of what I was doing, with my parents who were concerned as to what this guy is upto(remember I was working for top Fortune 500 companies) I began my journey into this world of thoughts.
My thoughts were my company. Good, bad, ugly, dead, weird thoughts became my closest friends. I would sit with them talk to them sometimes they would be harsh sometimes good . I was like a kid who wanted to see what actually happened inside of me. Many times I got hurt and few times comforted but I carried on with the heart of a lion. I had no choice you see I had to make headway, discover a beautiful island in the midst of this desert storm.. My thoughts would take me for a ride they would fool me on most occasions but I braved the storm. I was not too concerned about my failures about my thoughts fooling me for I figured out that it is much better that my own thoughts fool me than to be fooled by life.. There was work to be done a battle to be won. I had only one thing in my mind to get in touch with the life force, the vibrant energy which the great masters speak about.
There are very few masters existing in this universe who have come in contact with this life force and of the few who exist they prefer to remain silent for reasons unknown or they refer to take a backseat like John Harricharan. He is a master I can with absolute certainty say that .Only two or three people really know the depths of his spiritual strength…Many are not aware that the who’s who of United States beg to consult with him and he avoids them on most occasions. They offer him large sums of money and he declines it not that he his allergic to money but he entertains them when he wants to not when they want him.. He feels they can wait….
So did I come in contact with the life force? I will prefer not to answer that question. It might sound very childish like saying “Yes I infact trapped the moonlight in a bowl of water” I love writing but I write only when something within me tells me to write. Sometimes I open the word document and stare at the blank page for two hours and then close the document and go for a walk. The last two years every decision that I have taken has come from my heart the heart bleeds but it is right I tell you that ! and it takes guts to listen to the heart . We have not come here to wake up in the morning, read the newspapers make other peoples life’s interesting by talking about them and then like a load runner carry life’s responsibility ! No ! I am certain we had not been dispatched into this planet to carry problems. Does not make any sense brooding over them. You got to break the shackles, take a deep breath and say ” ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! I am not going to take it anymore ! Write it in a piece of paper burn it and then go for a walk, a long walk so long that it never ends where you come across a road which says “Welcome to Paradise , What can I do for you Today” And you stand there wondering whether all this is a dream !
Remember I told you about my dream,my mission: Just repeat that
“All that I want is, I want my thoughts to be rich and , healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought. Today is the day when the great work will begin ,where the sun will give me company and follow me at every step , where the footprints of time will stand still and watch as I build a brand new world within myself which the universe , the God and every other human being will be proud to be in”
This is a rewarding universe and it rewards transparency. It gives the highest recommendation for transparency of thoughts. Clear Crisp light and powerful these thoughts travel a great distance and today you have one last chance to set the stage on fire… Today at 12 pm Midnight the price for the teleseminar goes up to $197. All the bonuses have gone. They went like fast food within couple of hours but there were many who wrote back saying I should have given advance intimation. Well I cannot extend the deadline of 12 pm midnight today but what I am going to do is to give you all the bonuses which we gave to all the people who enrolled yesterday. And for all those who enrolled yesterday and who missed out on the first 50 don’t worry you still get all the bonuses
So only 18 hours remain. Remember a clear crisp thought is like the diamond which is hidden beneath the rubbles of ordinary thought. You can go ahead and execute a massive search operation many have done that and have failed miserably because only light can attract light and today you have a great chance to touch that life force a teleseminar you would remember for a long time to come
So what do you pay ?
Only $97 . Yes all internet marketers think I am crazy because they have already started sending emails for $497 and the cash counters have began to roll but I had no hesitation in reserving this special price for you. Only $97 and in return you get
1) To attend the live teleseminar on October 25th details of which will be given to you shortly. In case you miss this don’t worry you will be provided the download link for the audio and the complete transcript of it.
2) The Complete downloadable kit of “The 12 Power Principles” which sells currently for $397. This includes the step by step audio and the transcript. You don’t need anything more once you lay your hands on this telseminar and John’s 12 Power Principle. It is that powerful… You will get all the downloadable audio and transcript links 36 hours after you join for the teleseminar
3) This third bonus is sold out but I am extending it and making it available to everyone who enrolls for the telseminar by midnight today ie Wednesday E.S.T . This is a biggie. Complete access to 36 stunning videos of Power Principle and more. You get access to Spiritual simplicity membership site where current members are paying more than $97 per month. You don’t pay anything not a single dime.
Bring someone whom you dearly love with you on the call. It could be your son, your daughter, your friend, your partner, your father, your mother, or whoever it is but someone whom you dearly love…. This is very important and if you cannot find anyone that is still ok but I am sure you will…
Also ensure that you have a blank notepad and a blue and red pen with you on the call
So, here is your first take to grab the magical tool with both hands.
My strength lies in transparency. Not of the body, not even of the mind but of the thoughts which collide within my being. I spend a lot of time in cleansing my thoughts, the lens through which I see the universe. The more I cleanse it the more I feel at peace with myself. I do not sit at a place with eyes closed and pray to God or the higher force to come down and bless me. I have done that and I know nothing happens… There are people who have done that for five decades and still nothing has happened and they are the same guys who run many world famous meditation centers all across the world. Meditation has become more of a lifestyle than a life force.
John once told me that the longest conversations we have is the conversation we have with ourselves. The tiny mind producing a million thoughts. Strange but true …. One of the guys called me last week and told me “Vish I have practiced TM (Transcendental Meditation ) for fifteen years so what is this thing you are talking about. What is it going to do that TM cannot do”
And you know I was wondering in my mind without any offence to this guy because I too have gone through all is ” Look at the damage that TM has done to him. If he really had known everything he would never have called and asked such a stupid question. 15yrs of meditation he should have been a power house by now and look what has happened to him. The Sun has lifted its hands from this child….”
Why am I telling you all this? To caution you that meditation is not a lifestyle it is a life force. That reading a book or attending a seminar is not a style statement . Did you know that only 5% of the people who buy books actually open the book and read a few pages. Did you know that only 2% of the people infact read the book cover to cover? Why because carrying the book has become a life style like carrying empty minds. The same happens with seminar. The same happens with our life once we wake up in the morning.
Everyone around me ran for a lifestyle running after money, health and relationships. I too did that for a while but then I stopped still for a while and said to myself ” All that I want is I want my thoughts to be rich, healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought”
And so my work began. With a four year old son(who is now seven, I am blessed to be his dad), with my wife who never understood anything of what I was doing, with my parents who were concerned as to what this guy is upto(remember I was working for top Fortune 500 companies) I began my journey into this world of thoughts.
My thoughts were my company. Good, bad, ugly, dead, weird thoughts became my closest friends. I would sit with them talk to them sometimes they would be harsh sometimes good . I was like a kid who wanted to see what actually happened inside of me. Many times I got hurt and few times comforted but I carried on with the heart of a lion. I had no choice you see I had to make headway, discover a beautiful island in the midst of this desert storm.. My thoughts would take me for a ride they would fool me on most occasions but I braved the storm. I was not too concerned about my failures about my thoughts fooling me for I figured out that it is much better that my own thoughts fool me than to be fooled by life.. There was work to be done a battle to be won. I had only one thing in my mind to get in touch with the life force, the vibrant energy which the great masters speak about.
There are very few masters existing in this universe who have come in contact with this life force and of the few who exist they prefer to remain silent for reasons unknown or they refer to take a backseat like John Harricharan. He is a master I can with absolute certainty say that .Only two or three people really know the depths of his spiritual strength…Many are not aware that the who’s who of United States beg to consult with him and he avoids them on most occasions. They offer him large sums of money and he declines it not that he his allergic to money but he entertains them when he wants to not when they want him.. He feels they can wait….
So did I come in contact with the life force? I will prefer not to answer that question. It might sound very childish like saying “Yes I infact trapped the moonlight in a bowl of water” I love writing but I write only when something within me tells me to write. Sometimes I open the word document and stare at the blank page for two hours and then close the document and go for a walk. The last two years every decision that I have taken has come from my heart the heart bleeds but it is right I tell you that ! and it takes guts to listen to the heart . We have not come here to wake up in the morning, read the newspapers make other peoples life’s interesting by talking about them and then like a load runner carry life’s responsibility ! No ! I am certain we had not been dispatched into this planet to carry problems. Does not make any sense brooding over them. You got to break the shackles, take a deep breath and say ” ENOUGH IS ENOUGH ! I am not going to take it anymore ! Write it in a piece of paper burn it and then go for a walk, a long walk so long that it never ends where you come across a road which says “Welcome to Paradise , What can I do for you Today” And you stand there wondering whether all this is a dream !
Remember I told you about my dream,my mission: Just repeat that
“All that I want is, I want my thoughts to be rich and , healthy and to form a great relationship with my body and mind and together we will work in unity and conquer the hearts of all beings interested in a similar line of thought. Today is the day when the great work will begin ,where the sun will give me company and follow me at every step , where the footprints of time will stand still and watch as I build a brand new world within myself which the universe , the God and every other human being will be proud to be in”
This is a rewarding universe and it rewards transparency. It gives the highest recommendation for transparency of thoughts. Clear Crisp light and powerful these thoughts travel a great distance and today you have one last chance to set the stage on fire… Today at 12 pm Midnight the price for the teleseminar goes up to $197. All the bonuses have gone. They went like fast food within couple of hours but there were many who wrote back saying I should have given advance intimation. Well I cannot extend the deadline of 12 pm midnight today but what I am going to do is to give you all the bonuses which we gave to all the people who enrolled yesterday. And for all those who enrolled yesterday and who missed out on the first 50 don’t worry you still get all the bonuses
So only 18 hours remain. Remember a clear crisp thought is like the diamond which is hidden beneath the rubbles of ordinary thought. You can go ahead and execute a massive search operation many have done that and have failed miserably because only light can attract light and today you have a great chance to touch that life force a teleseminar you would remember for a long time to come
So what do you pay ?
Only $97 . Yes all internet marketers think I am crazy because they have already started sending emails for $497 and the cash counters have began to roll but I had no hesitation in reserving this special price for you. Only $97 and in return you get
1) To attend the live teleseminar on October 25th details of which will be given to you shortly. In case you miss this don’t worry you will be provided the download link for the audio and the complete transcript of it.
2) The Complete downloadable kit of “The 12 Power Principles” which sells currently for $397. This includes the step by step audio and the transcript. You don’t need anything more once you lay your hands on this telseminar and John’s 12 Power Principle. It is that powerful… You will get all the downloadable audio and transcript links 36 hours after you join for the teleseminar
3) This third bonus is sold out but I am extending it and making it available to everyone who enrolls for the telseminar by midnight today ie Wednesday E.S.T . This is a biggie. Complete access to 36 stunning videos of Power Principle and more. You get access to Spiritual simplicity membership site where current members are paying more than $97 per month. You don’t pay anything not a single dime.
Bring someone whom you dearly love with you on the call. It could be your son, your daughter, your friend, your partner, your father, your mother, or whoever it is but someone whom you dearly love…. This is very important and if you cannot find anyone that is still ok but I am sure you will…
Also ensure that you have a blank notepad and a blue and red pen with you on the call
So, here is your first take to grab the magical tool with both hands.
The Ethnicity of the Antichrist
One of the great mysteries concerning bible prophecy and the end times is the national identity of the Antichrist. This is an important topic because it will eventually aid the last days generation of Christians in the correct identification of the Antichrist. Fortunately, the Bible provides us with several details regarding the nationalistic origins of this sinister personality.
His Roman Nationality
Although much debate surrounds his national identity, the Book of Daniel clearly states that the Antichrist will come from among the people whose armies destroy the Temple.
“A ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
The City and the Temple referenced in this passage were destroyed in A.D. 70 by Titus and the Roman legions, but Titus was not the ruler referenced in this verse. Daniel 9:27 describes the ruler as one who will make a seven-year treaty with Israel, put an end to the sacrifices and offerings, and set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration. These are events that will be fulfilled in the life of the Antichrist. According to Daniel, the Antichrist will come from among the people who destroyed the Temple. Therefore, we can be certain that the Antichrist will come from among the Roman people.
However, coming from among the Roman people does not automatically mean that the Antichrist will be of Italian heritage or Roman ethnicity. It simply means he must come from among those people who were part of the Roman Empire at that time. From an ethnic standpoint, this leaves the door open to countless possibilities. The Roman Empire covered most of the known world in its day, and Roman citizenship was extended to many non-Italian peoples. So how do we interpret this passage?
Most likely, Daniel 9:26 is a reference to the power base from which the Antichrist will operate. The Book of Daniel clearly states that the final world empire before the establishment of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be a resurrected form of the Roman Empire. In all likelihood, the Antichrist will be the ruler of this revived Roman Empire which will “devour the whole earth,” and in this way, Christians will be able to identify him as the Antichrist.
Is the Antichrist Syrian?
Daniel Chapter 8 provides us with further clues in regard to the life and times of the Antichrist. In it, the angel Gabriel explains Daniel’s vision of a Ram and Goat as events relating to the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. In a claim verified by history, Gabriel states that following the death of Alexander, the empire will be divided into four parts. From one of those four parts, the Antichrist will arise:
“The shaggy male goat represents the king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four sections with four kings, none of them as great as the first. At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.” Daniel 8:21-24 (NLT)
Daniel Chapter 11 provides an in-depth examination of the history of the breakup Alexander’s empire, describing historical events relating to the King of the North and the King of the South. The latter part of the chapter describes the Antichrist, identifying him with other historical figures who have held the title “King of the North.” This, along with the passage cited above, clearly links the Antichrist to the Northern Kingdom of the divided Greek Empire. This kingdom was ruled by one of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus, who ruled the areas of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Antichrist will in some way be linked to this geographic area of the Middle East.
Isaiah Chapter 10
In addition to Daniel 8, the prophet Isaiah also offers some interesting insight concerning a “king of Assyria”:
“After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him – for he is proud and arrogant. He boasts, ‘By my own power and wisdom I have won these wars. By my own strength I have captured many lands, destroyed their kings, and carried off their treasures. By my greatness I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest.” Isaiah 10:12-14 (NLT)
Although not directly identified by Isaiah, this king of Assyria bears a striking resemblance to the Antichrist. Both the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation describe the Antichrist as proud and arrogant, boasting arrogantly and blaspheming God Himself. His boast that “no one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest” also fits the description of the Antichrist as given in the Book of Revelation:
“They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. ‘Is there anyone as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” Revelation 13:4 (NLT)
Isaiah 10, coupled with Daniel 8, lends support to the idea that the Antichrist will somehow be connected to political power in this region of the world.
Is the Antichrist Jewish?
Is the Antichrist Jewish? Although there is no definitive answer, two Bible verses provide us with good reason to believe he will be. The first appears in the Book of Genesis when God prophesies the coming of Israel’s Messiah and Satan’s Antichrist.
“From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT)
Later on, when Jacob is blessing his sons, he makes this prophecy about Dan:
“Dan will govern his people like any other tribe in Israel. He will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so the rider is thrown off.” Genesis 49:16-17 (NLT)
This reference to a serpent striking a heel may indicate that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, but it isn’t certain and many reasonable people are divided on this issue.
In addition to this reference to the tribe of Dan, the Book of Daniel points out that the Antichrist will worship himself above all else:
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” Daniel 11:37 (KJV)
This passage is often referenced by those who believe the Antichrist will be of Jewish heritage. The fact that he will have no regard “for the God of his fathers” is viewed as a reference to the monotheistic God of the Jews.
Adding further fuel to speculation that the Antichrist might be Jewish is the following passage from the Book of Revelation:
“Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon.” Revelation 13:11 (NLT)
This verse states that the Antichrist will “come up out of the earth,” a biblical phrase often associated with the promised land and the Jewish people. Throughout the Old Testament, the earth is used as a symbol for Israel, while the sea is used as a symbol for the Gentile peoples:
“And now in my vision I saw beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.” Revelation 13:1 (NLT)
The verse above is a reference to the Antichrist’s kingdom, which as stated before, will be a revived form of the Roman Empire – thus emerging from among the Gentile people. But all the authority of this kingdom will be exercised by “the beast from the earth” referenced in Revelation 13:11:
“He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, who death-wound had been healed.” Revelation 13:12 (NLT)
The first beast, whose “death-wound had been healed,” is the revived Roman Empire. The Book of Daniel clearly states that this world empire will re-emerge in the last days, thus becoming healed of its mortal wound. But the one who rules it will “come up out of the earth.” Could this be a reference to the Antichrist’s Jewish heritage?
Will the Jews Accept the Antichrist as Messiah?
All the speculation surrounding the Antichrist’s possible Jewish heritage lends itself to another question: Will the Jews accept the Antichrist as their Messiah? Many believe that the following statement by Jesus is really a prophecy that the Jewish people will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah:
“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:43 (KJV)
The Antichrist would have to be Jewish in order to be accepted by Israel as the Messiah. Many believe this scripture points to a specific person in the future who will “come in his own name” and be accepted as the Redeemer of Israel.
Conclusion
It is an absolute certainty that the Antichrist will arrive on the world scene as the ruler of a revived Roman empire. However, it is less certain whether or not he will be of actual Italian descent or some other ethnic background. Several scriptures offer the possibility that he could be Assyrian, Greek, or Jewish. But none of them offer us the definitive statement contained in Daniel 9:26.
So how do we rectify these seemingly contradictory prophecies concerning the Antichrist’s nationality? Is he Roman? Italian? Jewish? Assyrian? Greek? He doesn’t necessarily have to be exclusively one or another. He could be an Assyrian Jew born and raised in Italy, or any number of possible combinations. We don’t know for certain, but history indicates that each of these prophecies will be harmonized when the Antichrist finally appears.
Two thousand years ago, the seemingly contradictory prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah were all harmonized in the life of Jesus Christ who was a Nazarene born in Bethlehem who came out of Egypt. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how this was possible, but for the Jewish scholars who lived before the birth and ministry of Jesus, these prophecies were a topic of intense debate. Would the Messiah come from Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Egypt? The answer, of course, was all three.
In similar fashion, a debate continues today in regard to the prophecies of the Antichrist and his national identity. But no matter how much we speculate on the ultimate meaning of the scriptures, we won’t know the absolute truth until God’s appointed time. As such, it is wise to study these prophecies and teach them to others, so that Christians of the Antichrist’s generation will be able to positively identify him based on sound Scriptural evidence.
May the Lord Jesus Christ, upon His Return, find us actively engaged in teaching these truths to others. Until then, live with a patient and enduring faith that His Return is soon upon us.
His Roman Nationality
Although much debate surrounds his national identity, the Book of Daniel clearly states that the Antichrist will come from among the people whose armies destroy the Temple.
“A ruler will arise whose armies will destroy the city and the Temple.” Daniel 9:26 (NLT)
The City and the Temple referenced in this passage were destroyed in A.D. 70 by Titus and the Roman legions, but Titus was not the ruler referenced in this verse. Daniel 9:27 describes the ruler as one who will make a seven-year treaty with Israel, put an end to the sacrifices and offerings, and set up a sacrilegious object that causes desecration. These are events that will be fulfilled in the life of the Antichrist. According to Daniel, the Antichrist will come from among the people who destroyed the Temple. Therefore, we can be certain that the Antichrist will come from among the Roman people.
However, coming from among the Roman people does not automatically mean that the Antichrist will be of Italian heritage or Roman ethnicity. It simply means he must come from among those people who were part of the Roman Empire at that time. From an ethnic standpoint, this leaves the door open to countless possibilities. The Roman Empire covered most of the known world in its day, and Roman citizenship was extended to many non-Italian peoples. So how do we interpret this passage?
Most likely, Daniel 9:26 is a reference to the power base from which the Antichrist will operate. The Book of Daniel clearly states that the final world empire before the establishment of Christ’s Millennial Kingdom will be a resurrected form of the Roman Empire. In all likelihood, the Antichrist will be the ruler of this revived Roman Empire which will “devour the whole earth,” and in this way, Christians will be able to identify him as the Antichrist.
Is the Antichrist Syrian?
Daniel Chapter 8 provides us with further clues in regard to the life and times of the Antichrist. In it, the angel Gabriel explains Daniel’s vision of a Ram and Goat as events relating to the Greek Empire of Alexander the Great. In a claim verified by history, Gabriel states that following the death of Alexander, the empire will be divided into four parts. From one of those four parts, the Antichrist will arise:
“The shaggy male goat represents the king of the Greek Empire. The four prominent horns that replaced the one large horn show that the Greek Empire will break into four sections with four kings, none of them as great as the first. At the end of their rule, when their sin is at its height, a fierce king, a master of intrigue, will rise to power. He will become very strong, but not by his own power. He will cause a shocking amount of destruction and succeed in everything he does. He will destroy powerful leaders and devastate the holy people.” Daniel 8:21-24 (NLT)
Daniel Chapter 11 provides an in-depth examination of the history of the breakup Alexander’s empire, describing historical events relating to the King of the North and the King of the South. The latter part of the chapter describes the Antichrist, identifying him with other historical figures who have held the title “King of the North.” This, along with the passage cited above, clearly links the Antichrist to the Northern Kingdom of the divided Greek Empire. This kingdom was ruled by one of Alexander’s generals, Seleucus, who ruled the areas of Syria, Mesopotamia, and Persia. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the Antichrist will in some way be linked to this geographic area of the Middle East.
Isaiah Chapter 10
In addition to Daniel 8, the prophet Isaiah also offers some interesting insight concerning a “king of Assyria”:
“After the Lord has used the king of Assyria to accomplish his purposes in Jerusalem, he will turn against the king of Assyria and punish him – for he is proud and arrogant. He boasts, ‘By my own power and wisdom I have won these wars. By my own strength I have captured many lands, destroyed their kings, and carried off their treasures. By my greatness I have robbed their nests of riches and gathered up kingdoms as a farmer gathers eggs. No one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest.” Isaiah 10:12-14 (NLT)
Although not directly identified by Isaiah, this king of Assyria bears a striking resemblance to the Antichrist. Both the Book of Daniel and the Book of Revelation describe the Antichrist as proud and arrogant, boasting arrogantly and blaspheming God Himself. His boast that “no one can even flap a wing against me or utter a peep of protest” also fits the description of the Antichrist as given in the Book of Revelation:
“They worshiped the dragon for giving the beast such power, and they worshiped the beast. ‘Is there anyone as great as the beast?’ they exclaimed. ‘Who is able to fight against him?’” Revelation 13:4 (NLT)
Isaiah 10, coupled with Daniel 8, lends support to the idea that the Antichrist will somehow be connected to political power in this region of the world.
Is the Antichrist Jewish?
Is the Antichrist Jewish? Although there is no definitive answer, two Bible verses provide us with good reason to believe he will be. The first appears in the Book of Genesis when God prophesies the coming of Israel’s Messiah and Satan’s Antichrist.
“From now on, you and the woman will be enemies, and your offspring and her offspring will be enemies. He will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” Genesis 3:15 (NLT)
Later on, when Jacob is blessing his sons, he makes this prophecy about Dan:
“Dan will govern his people like any other tribe in Israel. He will be a snake beside the road, a poisonous viper along the path, that bites the horse’s heels so the rider is thrown off.” Genesis 49:16-17 (NLT)
This reference to a serpent striking a heel may indicate that the Antichrist will be a Jew from the tribe of Dan, but it isn’t certain and many reasonable people are divided on this issue.
In addition to this reference to the tribe of Dan, the Book of Daniel points out that the Antichrist will worship himself above all else:
“Neither shall he regard the God of his fathers, nor the desire of women, nor regard any god: for he shall magnify himself above all.” Daniel 11:37 (KJV)
This passage is often referenced by those who believe the Antichrist will be of Jewish heritage. The fact that he will have no regard “for the God of his fathers” is viewed as a reference to the monotheistic God of the Jews.
Adding further fuel to speculation that the Antichrist might be Jewish is the following passage from the Book of Revelation:
“Then I saw another beast come up out of the earth. He had two horns like those of a lamb, and he spoke with the voice of a dragon.” Revelation 13:11 (NLT)
This verse states that the Antichrist will “come up out of the earth,” a biblical phrase often associated with the promised land and the Jewish people. Throughout the Old Testament, the earth is used as a symbol for Israel, while the sea is used as a symbol for the Gentile peoples:
“And now in my vision I saw beast rising up out of the sea. It had seven heads and ten horns, with ten crowns on its horns. And written on each head were names that blasphemed God.” Revelation 13:1 (NLT)
The verse above is a reference to the Antichrist’s kingdom, which as stated before, will be a revived form of the Roman Empire – thus emerging from among the Gentile people. But all the authority of this kingdom will be exercised by “the beast from the earth” referenced in Revelation 13:11:
“He exercised all the authority of the first beast. And he required all the earth and those who belong to this world to worship the first beast, who death-wound had been healed.” Revelation 13:12 (NLT)
The first beast, whose “death-wound had been healed,” is the revived Roman Empire. The Book of Daniel clearly states that this world empire will re-emerge in the last days, thus becoming healed of its mortal wound. But the one who rules it will “come up out of the earth.” Could this be a reference to the Antichrist’s Jewish heritage?
Will the Jews Accept the Antichrist as Messiah?
All the speculation surrounding the Antichrist’s possible Jewish heritage lends itself to another question: Will the Jews accept the Antichrist as their Messiah? Many believe that the following statement by Jesus is really a prophecy that the Jewish people will accept the Antichrist as their Messiah:
“I am come in my Father’s name, and ye receive me not: if another shall come in his own name, him ye will receive.” John 5:43 (KJV)
The Antichrist would have to be Jewish in order to be accepted by Israel as the Messiah. Many believe this scripture points to a specific person in the future who will “come in his own name” and be accepted as the Redeemer of Israel.
Conclusion
It is an absolute certainty that the Antichrist will arrive on the world scene as the ruler of a revived Roman empire. However, it is less certain whether or not he will be of actual Italian descent or some other ethnic background. Several scriptures offer the possibility that he could be Assyrian, Greek, or Jewish. But none of them offer us the definitive statement contained in Daniel 9:26.
So how do we rectify these seemingly contradictory prophecies concerning the Antichrist’s nationality? Is he Roman? Italian? Jewish? Assyrian? Greek? He doesn’t necessarily have to be exclusively one or another. He could be an Assyrian Jew born and raised in Italy, or any number of possible combinations. We don’t know for certain, but history indicates that each of these prophecies will be harmonized when the Antichrist finally appears.
Two thousand years ago, the seemingly contradictory prophecies of the first coming of the Messiah were all harmonized in the life of Jesus Christ who was a Nazarene born in Bethlehem who came out of Egypt. With the benefit of hindsight, we can see how this was possible, but for the Jewish scholars who lived before the birth and ministry of Jesus, these prophecies were a topic of intense debate. Would the Messiah come from Nazareth, Bethlehem, or Egypt? The answer, of course, was all three.
In similar fashion, a debate continues today in regard to the prophecies of the Antichrist and his national identity. But no matter how much we speculate on the ultimate meaning of the scriptures, we won’t know the absolute truth until God’s appointed time. As such, it is wise to study these prophecies and teach them to others, so that Christians of the Antichrist’s generation will be able to positively identify him based on sound Scriptural evidence.
May the Lord Jesus Christ, upon His Return, find us actively engaged in teaching these truths to others. Until then, live with a patient and enduring faith that His Return is soon upon us.
Carp Fishing Tactics For Wary Fish - Hiding Your Line!
On many carp waters the fish are well aware of fishermen’s lines passing through the water. This can impact so much on fish that in some swims fish will not feed until the swim appears safe and clear of lines. They have associated lines with danger often from many years of angling pressure. But what can you do about it?
Seeing your line passing through water can really hit your confidence. If you can see it, the fish certainly can. Carp eyesight is not to be underestimated! How often have you observed fish heading for your swim, only to see your line and turn around? Heavy lines are often required in many situations, so trying to use ‘invisible’ like very fine ones or certain ones with less abrasion resistance makes things hard. There are a couple of new lines that claim to be invisible in water. The trouble is that even these can go along the lake bed and form a barrier of line across the water, where the bottom dips and rises, or where going over weed beds.
The last 5 metres of line to your hook rig is the area that usually matters the most. Here fish often bump into lines in their search for food or bait and the first obvious mistake many anglers make is ensuring fish get spooked by their lines by baiting-up between their hook and rig and their rod, the very side where line is most apparent. Only baiting-up the opposite side can make a dramatic difference!
Of course, lots of methods have evolved to try to avoid spooking fish out of your swim or even stop them from stopping feeding in the possible case of some line shy fish, and having them leave your swim. Your line also helps fish to locate your hook rig which is not favourable for bites! The days when fish feed avidly while navigating a network of lines stretched across the water in full view are fading on so many waters these days. The use of back leads and flying back leads to pin the line to the lake bed are good. But on weedy waters and those with lots of rises and falls as in gravel pits for example, they are not really the solution.
Lead core spiced to the line and heavy dense tubing on the line helps to some degree with this problem, but are not perfect, no matter if their colour matches the lake bed or has been marked so that it forms a ‘broken disjointed line’ or a ‘camouflaged’ one. Often the fish just learn that these are extra thick lines which are also dangerous. Ordinary plastic tubing is still sold for use as anti-tangle tubing but often is used fresh from the packet which means it still forms bends and loops on the lake bed!
The best way I found to use heavy dense tubing like the ‘ESP’ range, was to find the thinnest one possible I could fit over my line, slide it onto the line and then stretch it out as long as possible. I even used multiple lengths of it as I found multiple lengths hugged the bottom even better than just using the thinner more flexible stretched tube. Gluing tiny pieces of shot or lead putty materials to these really made a massive difference to results. If I could, I’d use a 4 metre length of tubing to pin the line down; combined with as many back leads I could add practically along the length of the line. Pressured smaller water fish are often even more spooked by lines and these tricks have proven the difference between catching nothing at all and catching forties with regularity.
Not many anglers realise that if you fish a tight line pinned very effectively to the lake bed with multiple back leads on the line as far down as possible teamed with a heavy sinker lead on the line, your initial deep hooking potential can be hugely improved. Your combined resistance of weight on the line might be nearer 6 ounces often tripping-up and converting a single bleep on the alarm to full blooded runs or at least a couple more tell-tale bleeps as fish struggled to rid the hook. I sharpen my hooks literally beyond needle sharp spending hours on this task. A few times I lost some very big fish as the points bent out with the pressure, but I’m certain these might not have been hooked without this preparation anyway.
I also choose the longest point hooks from a packet because these gain the fast deepest hook-hold initially. Those hooks with a long straight point, in turned eye and a penetration angle of 26 degrees have been exceptionally effective for gaining good deep very reliable hook holds anywhere in the mouth. I have used heavy wire Kamasan models of this type in size 4 for years with great success. (I subsequently discovered another angler found the same positive results with hooks with these characteristics as was written in the spring 2007 B.C.S.G. magazine.
I always scrap off all the golden covering and soak hooks in water in advance. I’m sure this helps not just visually, but help the hook ‘blend’ in the water electrically better... (Covering the hook in paste is an accidental edge which is great for wary fish; most anglers coat the bait only.) Some Ashima hooks have virtually identical characteristics in a thinner wire but are much harder to sharpen and tend to be brittle.
Years ago, before lines like “Big Game” became fashionable I remember fishing using sea line as leaders. The logic was that if fish spooked off the slim 8 pound German line I was using at the time because they could feel it but not see it so well, then why not use a thick line they can see? The point is that no-one else was doing this on waters I fished, so the fish had no reason to fear a thick 60 pound line passing through the water! It really multiplied catches over-night too! I made sure the fish could see this line which was brown.
It was a method which worked well wherever I fished at that time in the late eighties. I went onto using heavy braid as leaders as I noticed that some thicker cheaper ones absorbed the silt of the bottom and ‘disappeared’ as it were. On clearer weedy lakes, using braid which was marked in browns, greens, and black to break up its appearance worked very well, when everyone else was using that horrible shocking white “Big Game” line, usually in 15 pound strength. A tight line was used with my very heavy monofilament leaders and a slack line approach with braid leaders.
Braid worked even better with shot pinched onto the line at 6 inch intervals for a distance of at least 8 feet from the rig. Fixed leads were used and 2 ounce leads were tied to a rig swivel using 2 pound line and round eyed bombs and Arlesey leads were used. Results noticeably improved using leads which were flattened with a hammer to make them grip the bottom better to secure a better hook hold. This was prior to the square leads becoming popular.
Often a spot in a swim is the only place that fish will feed and take a bait, but fish may not feed or spook out if lines are detected. Often changing the angle and direction your line enters the swim can make all the difference. Sometimes it even means using a float to get your line right out of the water a few feet from your rig. Even a stick with float rubbers to attach the line can be used. Sometimes free-lining with nothing but a hook on your line is very useful too. A very light running link ledger is an almost forgotten method in these days of so-called wonder ‘anti-eject, self-hooking’ rigs, but can produce extremely satisfying confident takes where heavy 4 or even 5 ounce leads are being used by carp as the pivot or fulcrum to rid themselves of hooks repeatedly every day!
Carp may or may not have long memories or attention spans but they can certainly learn fast. I’ve done well at long range using a 3 foot long ‘confidence rig’ on a light running lead with a short back-stop. The 6 or 8 inch standard rig is so often used by the average angler that it can becomes anti-productive, especially for the warier fish, especially where an angler is using a popular commercial boilie or pellet bait they have been hooked on previously. It so pays to be different and work at it.
I tried soaking my leads and tubing in attractors which helped results. I’m sure tubing has negative chemicals it gives off when first used, so why not do something to make it attractive instead. Tying flavour capsules full of attractors to your leads works too. I started doing this in the winter especially, but carried on doing it regardless of season. Using a large PVA bag of baits to gain distance when fishing very light leads works well too. The use of method mixes and floats to hold and deposit attractive ground bait which accurately feeds your bait from above is a very effective one but not just limited to fishing ‘zig-rig’ style either. How many anglers have tried fishing a sinking ground bait and a buoyant ground bait rising from below simultaneously with a buoyant paste hook bait?
As an aside, small PVA net stockings with micro pellets and crumbled baits soaked in oil based attractors are plastered all over the magazines and this now an old method on many pressured waters. But how many anglers tie up multiple bags and tie them 2 or 3 to the hook and lead? You can even do this with solid bags and exploit more buoyant ingredients like prawn and krill meal to produce a surface baiting effect as you bags rise in the water and melt so releasing their ground bait type contents in a more scattered way over your rig... (The possibilities and potential here are rarely used!)
Tubing often has the added benefit of protecting your line against snags and abrasive things like sharp gravel bars, mussels and any rough branches or any nasty surprises like metal snags in the water etc. Sometimes rope is what is really needed, so why not use it.
I saw an article recently where someone was using thick string or thin rope as a leader specifically because it was supple and absorbed the materials and sediments of the lake bed, so rendering the ‘line’ far less likely to be associated with a rig and danger by fish. Of course, soaking your ‘rope leader’ preferably in amino acid based additives, betaine and salt before casting, makes it sink immediately and actually helps draw fish to your hook bait. There are other very exciting options for hiding your line which involve line absorbing the materials on the bottom and doing this is extremely effective. See if you can think of some; you might want to keep them to yourself!
The author has many more fishing and bait ‘edges’ any of which can have a huge impact on your catches.
By Tim Richardson.
Seeing your line passing through water can really hit your confidence. If you can see it, the fish certainly can. Carp eyesight is not to be underestimated! How often have you observed fish heading for your swim, only to see your line and turn around? Heavy lines are often required in many situations, so trying to use ‘invisible’ like very fine ones or certain ones with less abrasion resistance makes things hard. There are a couple of new lines that claim to be invisible in water. The trouble is that even these can go along the lake bed and form a barrier of line across the water, where the bottom dips and rises, or where going over weed beds.
The last 5 metres of line to your hook rig is the area that usually matters the most. Here fish often bump into lines in their search for food or bait and the first obvious mistake many anglers make is ensuring fish get spooked by their lines by baiting-up between their hook and rig and their rod, the very side where line is most apparent. Only baiting-up the opposite side can make a dramatic difference!
Of course, lots of methods have evolved to try to avoid spooking fish out of your swim or even stop them from stopping feeding in the possible case of some line shy fish, and having them leave your swim. Your line also helps fish to locate your hook rig which is not favourable for bites! The days when fish feed avidly while navigating a network of lines stretched across the water in full view are fading on so many waters these days. The use of back leads and flying back leads to pin the line to the lake bed are good. But on weedy waters and those with lots of rises and falls as in gravel pits for example, they are not really the solution.
Lead core spiced to the line and heavy dense tubing on the line helps to some degree with this problem, but are not perfect, no matter if their colour matches the lake bed or has been marked so that it forms a ‘broken disjointed line’ or a ‘camouflaged’ one. Often the fish just learn that these are extra thick lines which are also dangerous. Ordinary plastic tubing is still sold for use as anti-tangle tubing but often is used fresh from the packet which means it still forms bends and loops on the lake bed!
The best way I found to use heavy dense tubing like the ‘ESP’ range, was to find the thinnest one possible I could fit over my line, slide it onto the line and then stretch it out as long as possible. I even used multiple lengths of it as I found multiple lengths hugged the bottom even better than just using the thinner more flexible stretched tube. Gluing tiny pieces of shot or lead putty materials to these really made a massive difference to results. If I could, I’d use a 4 metre length of tubing to pin the line down; combined with as many back leads I could add practically along the length of the line. Pressured smaller water fish are often even more spooked by lines and these tricks have proven the difference between catching nothing at all and catching forties with regularity.
Not many anglers realise that if you fish a tight line pinned very effectively to the lake bed with multiple back leads on the line as far down as possible teamed with a heavy sinker lead on the line, your initial deep hooking potential can be hugely improved. Your combined resistance of weight on the line might be nearer 6 ounces often tripping-up and converting a single bleep on the alarm to full blooded runs or at least a couple more tell-tale bleeps as fish struggled to rid the hook. I sharpen my hooks literally beyond needle sharp spending hours on this task. A few times I lost some very big fish as the points bent out with the pressure, but I’m certain these might not have been hooked without this preparation anyway.
I also choose the longest point hooks from a packet because these gain the fast deepest hook-hold initially. Those hooks with a long straight point, in turned eye and a penetration angle of 26 degrees have been exceptionally effective for gaining good deep very reliable hook holds anywhere in the mouth. I have used heavy wire Kamasan models of this type in size 4 for years with great success. (I subsequently discovered another angler found the same positive results with hooks with these characteristics as was written in the spring 2007 B.C.S.G. magazine.
I always scrap off all the golden covering and soak hooks in water in advance. I’m sure this helps not just visually, but help the hook ‘blend’ in the water electrically better... (Covering the hook in paste is an accidental edge which is great for wary fish; most anglers coat the bait only.) Some Ashima hooks have virtually identical characteristics in a thinner wire but are much harder to sharpen and tend to be brittle.
Years ago, before lines like “Big Game” became fashionable I remember fishing using sea line as leaders. The logic was that if fish spooked off the slim 8 pound German line I was using at the time because they could feel it but not see it so well, then why not use a thick line they can see? The point is that no-one else was doing this on waters I fished, so the fish had no reason to fear a thick 60 pound line passing through the water! It really multiplied catches over-night too! I made sure the fish could see this line which was brown.
It was a method which worked well wherever I fished at that time in the late eighties. I went onto using heavy braid as leaders as I noticed that some thicker cheaper ones absorbed the silt of the bottom and ‘disappeared’ as it were. On clearer weedy lakes, using braid which was marked in browns, greens, and black to break up its appearance worked very well, when everyone else was using that horrible shocking white “Big Game” line, usually in 15 pound strength. A tight line was used with my very heavy monofilament leaders and a slack line approach with braid leaders.
Braid worked even better with shot pinched onto the line at 6 inch intervals for a distance of at least 8 feet from the rig. Fixed leads were used and 2 ounce leads were tied to a rig swivel using 2 pound line and round eyed bombs and Arlesey leads were used. Results noticeably improved using leads which were flattened with a hammer to make them grip the bottom better to secure a better hook hold. This was prior to the square leads becoming popular.
Often a spot in a swim is the only place that fish will feed and take a bait, but fish may not feed or spook out if lines are detected. Often changing the angle and direction your line enters the swim can make all the difference. Sometimes it even means using a float to get your line right out of the water a few feet from your rig. Even a stick with float rubbers to attach the line can be used. Sometimes free-lining with nothing but a hook on your line is very useful too. A very light running link ledger is an almost forgotten method in these days of so-called wonder ‘anti-eject, self-hooking’ rigs, but can produce extremely satisfying confident takes where heavy 4 or even 5 ounce leads are being used by carp as the pivot or fulcrum to rid themselves of hooks repeatedly every day!
Carp may or may not have long memories or attention spans but they can certainly learn fast. I’ve done well at long range using a 3 foot long ‘confidence rig’ on a light running lead with a short back-stop. The 6 or 8 inch standard rig is so often used by the average angler that it can becomes anti-productive, especially for the warier fish, especially where an angler is using a popular commercial boilie or pellet bait they have been hooked on previously. It so pays to be different and work at it.
I tried soaking my leads and tubing in attractors which helped results. I’m sure tubing has negative chemicals it gives off when first used, so why not do something to make it attractive instead. Tying flavour capsules full of attractors to your leads works too. I started doing this in the winter especially, but carried on doing it regardless of season. Using a large PVA bag of baits to gain distance when fishing very light leads works well too. The use of method mixes and floats to hold and deposit attractive ground bait which accurately feeds your bait from above is a very effective one but not just limited to fishing ‘zig-rig’ style either. How many anglers have tried fishing a sinking ground bait and a buoyant ground bait rising from below simultaneously with a buoyant paste hook bait?
As an aside, small PVA net stockings with micro pellets and crumbled baits soaked in oil based attractors are plastered all over the magazines and this now an old method on many pressured waters. But how many anglers tie up multiple bags and tie them 2 or 3 to the hook and lead? You can even do this with solid bags and exploit more buoyant ingredients like prawn and krill meal to produce a surface baiting effect as you bags rise in the water and melt so releasing their ground bait type contents in a more scattered way over your rig... (The possibilities and potential here are rarely used!)
Tubing often has the added benefit of protecting your line against snags and abrasive things like sharp gravel bars, mussels and any rough branches or any nasty surprises like metal snags in the water etc. Sometimes rope is what is really needed, so why not use it.
I saw an article recently where someone was using thick string or thin rope as a leader specifically because it was supple and absorbed the materials and sediments of the lake bed, so rendering the ‘line’ far less likely to be associated with a rig and danger by fish. Of course, soaking your ‘rope leader’ preferably in amino acid based additives, betaine and salt before casting, makes it sink immediately and actually helps draw fish to your hook bait. There are other very exciting options for hiding your line which involve line absorbing the materials on the bottom and doing this is extremely effective. See if you can think of some; you might want to keep them to yourself!
The author has many more fishing and bait ‘edges’ any of which can have a huge impact on your catches.
By Tim Richardson.
Tumours in Rats - what to do when your pet rat has lumps and bumps
If you find a bump on your female rat, don't fret. It is usually a benign tumour. You should of course, still get it checked out by the vet. Female rats are very prone to lumps and bumps, especially around the mammary glands. Rats have nipples in odd places. There are a pair right behind their front legs, so this is a common place for a lump.
Benign tumours can grow very fast. They have been known to be the size of the rat itself. It is possible to have the lump surgically removed. If you catch the lump early, this is probably a good idea, as when it gets bigger it will make it difficult for your rat to groom herself and move around properly.
My beautiful rat Ginger has developed a benign tumour. Unfortunately the vet felt she was too old to operate on. There was too much risk involved. He also felt the lump would probably grow back elsewhere. The lump has grown over the last 4 months, but Ginger still seems happy. Sometimes she goes onto a course of antibiotics to help her feel better and she is more tired these days, but she still loves her cuddles and her best friend Mr T.
I have been giving her the following mixture to help her body fight:
Mix together the following ingredients:
3 capsules of CLA (Tonalin) (1000mg)
1 capsule Co-enzyme Q10 (10mg)
10 drops of echinacea/goldenseal liquid herbal extract
1ml of sublingual B vitamin complex liquid
1 capsule Super antioxidant formula (has vit C, E, beta-carotene and selenium - do not give this if Enervite or any other vitamin supplements are being given)
3 capsule Pau d'arco (500mg)
1 capsule Flaxseed oil (1000mg)
1" square of miso paste (pure organic, not flavored)
Divide into 14 parts and keep them in the fridge. If your ratty has a fast growing tumour give this twice a day, otherwise give it once.
You can mix it with yogurt or something else yummy that your rat loves, so as to disguise the taste.
If your male rat gets a lump, there is more chance it could be cancerous. Either way please take your rat to the vets straight away and be prepared for some nursing.
Benign tumours can grow very fast. They have been known to be the size of the rat itself. It is possible to have the lump surgically removed. If you catch the lump early, this is probably a good idea, as when it gets bigger it will make it difficult for your rat to groom herself and move around properly.
My beautiful rat Ginger has developed a benign tumour. Unfortunately the vet felt she was too old to operate on. There was too much risk involved. He also felt the lump would probably grow back elsewhere. The lump has grown over the last 4 months, but Ginger still seems happy. Sometimes she goes onto a course of antibiotics to help her feel better and she is more tired these days, but she still loves her cuddles and her best friend Mr T.
I have been giving her the following mixture to help her body fight:
Mix together the following ingredients:
3 capsules of CLA (Tonalin) (1000mg)
1 capsule Co-enzyme Q10 (10mg)
10 drops of echinacea/goldenseal liquid herbal extract
1ml of sublingual B vitamin complex liquid
1 capsule Super antioxidant formula (has vit C, E, beta-carotene and selenium - do not give this if Enervite or any other vitamin supplements are being given)
3 capsule Pau d'arco (500mg)
1 capsule Flaxseed oil (1000mg)
1" square of miso paste (pure organic, not flavored)
Divide into 14 parts and keep them in the fridge. If your ratty has a fast growing tumour give this twice a day, otherwise give it once.
You can mix it with yogurt or something else yummy that your rat loves, so as to disguise the taste.
If your male rat gets a lump, there is more chance it could be cancerous. Either way please take your rat to the vets straight away and be prepared for some nursing.
Should you Limit Your Kids Time Playing Video Games?
Whether to limit the time that a child plays video games is a question that almost every parent has battled over at least once and often many times. However, just because one parent has a specific opinion about it does not mean that another parent holds the same opinion. In other words, whether a parent should limit his or her childs time playing video games is a largely subjective, opinion question. There are, though, some signs that a parent should look for when trying to make a determination as to whether the time that his or her kid is spending on video games is too much.
If a kid who is playing video games is paying so much attention to them that his or her schoolwork is suffering, a parent might want to limit the video game time that child has. In addition, if relationships are suffering because of video games, this might also be another reason to limit the amount of time spent playing them. Video games are supposed to be for fun and enjoyment only. Unfortunately, they can actually become addictive. When someone is addicted to video games, the rest of that persons life suffers. He or she will generally not do well at all with school or work, and the relationships that have been built with others will be ignored, at least to some extent.
The person may also lose sleep, not eat well, and exhibit other behaviors consistent with focusing too much on video games and not enough on reality. This is, of course, very detrimental, especially for a child who is just developing habits. Because this is such a serious issue and can lead to many problems in the future, any parent who is concerned about how much time his or her kid is spending playing video games or any parent who sees a change in his or her child because of video game playing should limit the time each day that the child is allowed to play the video game.
If a kid who is playing video games is paying so much attention to them that his or her schoolwork is suffering, a parent might want to limit the video game time that child has. In addition, if relationships are suffering because of video games, this might also be another reason to limit the amount of time spent playing them. Video games are supposed to be for fun and enjoyment only. Unfortunately, they can actually become addictive. When someone is addicted to video games, the rest of that persons life suffers. He or she will generally not do well at all with school or work, and the relationships that have been built with others will be ignored, at least to some extent.
The person may also lose sleep, not eat well, and exhibit other behaviors consistent with focusing too much on video games and not enough on reality. This is, of course, very detrimental, especially for a child who is just developing habits. Because this is such a serious issue and can lead to many problems in the future, any parent who is concerned about how much time his or her kid is spending playing video games or any parent who sees a change in his or her child because of video game playing should limit the time each day that the child is allowed to play the video game.
How Do I Get My Business On The Internet?
This is one of the most frequently asked questions by small business owners. They are feeling the pressure from their customers and competitors, yet for many business people it is a daunting task, as they don't understand the whole process.
In fact, many people are even asking the question whether they should have a website. Whether you are a consultant, florist, designer, builder, architect or a doctor, consider the many advantages a website provides:
1. Make money - Set up an on-line store or get paid for advertising from other companies
2. Save money on advertising - Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
3. Be flexible in your message - Change the content as your business changes. No need to re-print expensive brochures.
4. Exposure to new customers - You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets
5. Having more professional image - Keep up with the times and your competitors
6. Save time - Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website
7. Keep your business open 24/7 - Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t, someone else will.
So what does it really take to get your website set up?
Step 1 - Register your domain name OR not.
The big question is whether you need to register a domain name or not. The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea.
What is a domain name?
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example: Company Name: QikPhone Domain Name: qikphone.com.au Web Address: www.qikphone.com.au Email Address: sales@qikphone.com
Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
NO, you don't need to have your own domain name. Your website can be created and hosted without it. Your website address will look something like this: www.web4business.com.au/JBCleaning OR www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
The only advantage of not registering a domain name is that you will save yourself a few dollars.
The disadvantages of NOT having your domain name include:
1. If you decide to change your Webhosting company or if that company goes out of business, you will lose your website address. Your website can be transferred to a new company, but your address will change. And that means re-printing stationery and re-doing all your advertising, notifying all your customers etc.
2. Website addresses that contain information other than your company name are long and hard to remember and do not appear as professional. Compare these two and see which one you are more likely to remember: www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning OR www.JBCleaning.com.au
So it is a good idea to register a domain name, even if it is just to protect yourself for the future. Say for example, your business name is JB Cleaning and you decide not to register your domain name for now. Along comes Joe Bloggs who opens his own cleaning business and registers JBCleaning.com.au domain name. After a year you decide you want to have your own domain name, but since Joe Bloggs already owns it, you won't be able to register it. Not to mention your customers who know your business as JB Cleaning may visit his website, thinking it's your web address and instead hire Joe Bloggs Cleaning.
Step 2 - Plan your website.
Planning your website is a two part process:
(a) Decide on the website design (colour schemes, buttons, special effects etc). This is your website designer's job. However, you may have a preference for a certain colour or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.
(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:
1 Product/Service Details
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Response Form, such as "Join Mailing List"
7. On-line Magazine or Newsletter
8. Resources & Articles
9. Guarantee
10. Survey
11. Events Calender
12. Search My Website Form
13. Refund Policy
14. Privacy Policy
15. About Us Information
16. Site Map
17. Copyright information
18. Useful Links
19. Media Information
20. On-line store
21. News
22. Directions to Your Bricks & Mortar Premises
Step 3 - Choose a Web Hosting Company.
What is a Web hosting Company?
A webhost is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space.
Which Company Should I Choose?
Webhosting companies are not created equal so you need to take a number of things into account when selecting one. A proven track record, experience and reliability form the foundation of any successful business partnership.
Some of the issues you should consider when choosing a webhosting company include:
1. Support - Does it provide comprehensive Technical Support - 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
2. Reliability - Does it have multiple large-scale links to the internet to provide a fail-safe path to your customers from anywhere in the world?
3. Security - Does it have a robust security system that minimises risk of web site intrusion?
4. State-of-the-art - Does the company utilises leading edge technology and is supported by a large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.
5. Scalability - Does the product range and services offered allow your business to grow without impediment by making it easy to upgrade and add components to existing product levels.
Step 4 - Getting people to your site.
The marketing of your website is important if you want to draw visitors to your site. If you don't promote your website no-one will ever see it. There are a number of different ways of advertising your website. The best strategy is one, which integrates your existing promotion methods with your website.
1. Office Stationery - Including your web address and email address on your stationery is probably the easiest way to draw attention to your site. It's cost effective and gets your Internet presence out there in the market place.
2. Business Cards - When printing business cards you should include the individual's email address and main address of your website.
3. Radio Advertising - Radio Advertising should include your web address. Don't include the http://, try "Visit us on the internet at w-w-w-dot-qikphone-dot-com-dot-au". If your budget is limited, you may wish to consider community radios.
4. Email and Mail-Outs - Let your current customers know the details of your website. You can either send them an email or a letter/postcard. Keep your website's content up-to-date and they will keep coming back!
5. Print Media - Print advertising should include a generic email address for the company and include your website address. Normally positioned at the bottom right or bottom centre of your advertisement.
6. Search Engines & Directories - People looking for your website who don't know the URL are most likely to use an on-line search engine to look for your organisation or the kind of products and services you offer. There are over 300 major search engines and directories, but you should concentrate on the larger, more commonly used ones. These include: Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Anzwers, Inktomi, Infoseek, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, MSN, Dogpile, AllTheWeb etc.
7. Links from other websites - A good way to attract visitors to your site is through the use of hyperlinks placed on other sites. If you know of another site which has a list of links and you think your website would be a good addition, let the website owner know. You might also offer to provide a link from your site back to the other site. This will encourage the webmaster to include your site. You should also seek out partners for trading links including vendors, suppliers and providers of complimentary products.
8. Link Exchange - Another way to getting a link is through a system called Link Exchange, a free public service designed to help websites advertise each other. With Link Exchange, you agree to display advertising banners for other Link Exchange members and they agree to display banners for you. The System is automatic, you simply add a piece of HTML code to your web page and Link Exchange will display an advertisement for another website. The disadvantage with Link Exchange is that you don't get any control as to where your banner ad appears or the type of banner ads that will appear on your website. It is not possible to guarantee that a competitor of yours may have their banner ad displayed on your site.
9. Paid Banner Advertising/Affiliate Marketing Programs - Various sites give you the opportunity to purchase banner advertising on their site. Some sites will charge you a flat monthly fee while other sites will charge you based on the number of people who see your ad.
For more information about marketing your website read "30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget"
http://www.websites4smallbusiness.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm
Step 5 - Monitor your site's statistics
Your website's statistics should show who visits your website, where in the world they come from, how they are finding your site and what pages are being viewed. Knowing your customers is the first step in effective marketing. Most webhosting companies will provide access to this information free of charge.
Step 6 - Maintaining your website
It is important to update your website regularly to keep your customers interested. One of the great advantages of having a website is that you can change its content virtually overnight at minimal cost (unlike re-printing brochures and flyers).
This is just a brief overview of the process involved in getting your website up and running. In future articles we will cover each step in more detail.
For more information about getting your business on the internet you may also wish to check out:
In fact, many people are even asking the question whether they should have a website. Whether you are a consultant, florist, designer, builder, architect or a doctor, consider the many advantages a website provides:
1. Make money - Set up an on-line store or get paid for advertising from other companies
2. Save money on advertising - Instead of paying for large ads, simply advertise your website
3. Be flexible in your message - Change the content as your business changes. No need to re-print expensive brochures.
4. Exposure to new customers - You will reach more local clients as well as interstate and global markets
5. Having more professional image - Keep up with the times and your competitors
6. Save time - Don’t spend hours on the phone, direct customers to your website
7. Keep your business open 24/7 - Provide customers information when THEY need it. If you don’t, someone else will.
So what does it really take to get your website set up?
Step 1 - Register your domain name OR not.
The big question is whether you need to register a domain name or not. The simple answer is NO, but a better answer is YES it is a good idea.
What is a domain name?
The purpose of a domain name is similar to that of a street address or telephone number. The domain name directs customers to you on the Internet. The domain by itself is not your email or web address. The domain does form the base from which these addresses are derived.
For example: Company Name: QikPhone Domain Name: qikphone.com.au Web Address: www.qikphone.com.au Email Address: sales@qikphone.com
Do I need to register a domain name to have a website?
NO, you don't need to have your own domain name. Your website can be created and hosted without it. Your website address will look something like this: www.web4business.com.au/JBCleaning OR www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning
The only advantage of not registering a domain name is that you will save yourself a few dollars.
The disadvantages of NOT having your domain name include:
1. If you decide to change your Webhosting company or if that company goes out of business, you will lose your website address. Your website can be transferred to a new company, but your address will change. And that means re-printing stationery and re-doing all your advertising, notifying all your customers etc.
2. Website addresses that contain information other than your company name are long and hard to remember and do not appear as professional. Compare these two and see which one you are more likely to remember: www.ozemail.com.au/~JBCleaning OR www.JBCleaning.com.au
So it is a good idea to register a domain name, even if it is just to protect yourself for the future. Say for example, your business name is JB Cleaning and you decide not to register your domain name for now. Along comes Joe Bloggs who opens his own cleaning business and registers JBCleaning.com.au domain name. After a year you decide you want to have your own domain name, but since Joe Bloggs already owns it, you won't be able to register it. Not to mention your customers who know your business as JB Cleaning may visit his website, thinking it's your web address and instead hire Joe Bloggs Cleaning.
Step 2 - Plan your website.
Planning your website is a two part process:
(a) Decide on the website design (colour schemes, buttons, special effects etc). This is your website designer's job. However, you may have a preference for a certain colour or look. To help you choose a design, you may wish to check out other people's websites or work with your web designer's pre-set templates.
(b) The content. There are many items you may wish to include on your website. The most common ones include:
1 Product/Service Details
2. Contact Information
3. Pricing
4. Testimonials
5. Frequently Asked Questions
6. Response Form, such as "Join Mailing List"
7. On-line Magazine or Newsletter
8. Resources & Articles
9. Guarantee
10. Survey
11. Events Calender
12. Search My Website Form
13. Refund Policy
14. Privacy Policy
15. About Us Information
16. Site Map
17. Copyright information
18. Useful Links
19. Media Information
20. On-line store
21. News
22. Directions to Your Bricks & Mortar Premises
Step 3 - Choose a Web Hosting Company.
What is a Web hosting Company?
A webhost is a company that provides server space for your website. You can think of a web host as a commercial building. The web host provides space for your website just as a commercial building provides space for your shop or office. You can build your own building and you can host your own website, but because of the cost and expertise required it is easier to rent the space.
Which Company Should I Choose?
Webhosting companies are not created equal so you need to take a number of things into account when selecting one. A proven track record, experience and reliability form the foundation of any successful business partnership.
Some of the issues you should consider when choosing a webhosting company include:
1. Support - Does it provide comprehensive Technical Support - 24 hours a day, seven days a week?
2. Reliability - Does it have multiple large-scale links to the internet to provide a fail-safe path to your customers from anywhere in the world?
3. Security - Does it have a robust security system that minimises risk of web site intrusion?
4. State-of-the-art - Does the company utilises leading edge technology and is supported by a large-scale uninterruptible power supply (UPS) system.
5. Scalability - Does the product range and services offered allow your business to grow without impediment by making it easy to upgrade and add components to existing product levels.
Step 4 - Getting people to your site.
The marketing of your website is important if you want to draw visitors to your site. If you don't promote your website no-one will ever see it. There are a number of different ways of advertising your website. The best strategy is one, which integrates your existing promotion methods with your website.
1. Office Stationery - Including your web address and email address on your stationery is probably the easiest way to draw attention to your site. It's cost effective and gets your Internet presence out there in the market place.
2. Business Cards - When printing business cards you should include the individual's email address and main address of your website.
3. Radio Advertising - Radio Advertising should include your web address. Don't include the http://, try "Visit us on the internet at w-w-w-dot-qikphone-dot-com-dot-au". If your budget is limited, you may wish to consider community radios.
4. Email and Mail-Outs - Let your current customers know the details of your website. You can either send them an email or a letter/postcard. Keep your website's content up-to-date and they will keep coming back!
5. Print Media - Print advertising should include a generic email address for the company and include your website address. Normally positioned at the bottom right or bottom centre of your advertisement.
6. Search Engines & Directories - People looking for your website who don't know the URL are most likely to use an on-line search engine to look for your organisation or the kind of products and services you offer. There are over 300 major search engines and directories, but you should concentrate on the larger, more commonly used ones. These include: Google, Yahoo, Altavista, Anzwers, Inktomi, Infoseek, Lycos, Excite, HotBot, MSN, Dogpile, AllTheWeb etc.
7. Links from other websites - A good way to attract visitors to your site is through the use of hyperlinks placed on other sites. If you know of another site which has a list of links and you think your website would be a good addition, let the website owner know. You might also offer to provide a link from your site back to the other site. This will encourage the webmaster to include your site. You should also seek out partners for trading links including vendors, suppliers and providers of complimentary products.
8. Link Exchange - Another way to getting a link is through a system called Link Exchange, a free public service designed to help websites advertise each other. With Link Exchange, you agree to display advertising banners for other Link Exchange members and they agree to display banners for you. The System is automatic, you simply add a piece of HTML code to your web page and Link Exchange will display an advertisement for another website. The disadvantage with Link Exchange is that you don't get any control as to where your banner ad appears or the type of banner ads that will appear on your website. It is not possible to guarantee that a competitor of yours may have their banner ad displayed on your site.
9. Paid Banner Advertising/Affiliate Marketing Programs - Various sites give you the opportunity to purchase banner advertising on their site. Some sites will charge you a flat monthly fee while other sites will charge you based on the number of people who see your ad.
For more information about marketing your website read "30 ways to promote your website on a shoestring budget"
http://www.websites4smallbusiness.com.au/ArticlesIK30waystopromote.htm
Step 5 - Monitor your site's statistics
Your website's statistics should show who visits your website, where in the world they come from, how they are finding your site and what pages are being viewed. Knowing your customers is the first step in effective marketing. Most webhosting companies will provide access to this information free of charge.
Step 6 - Maintaining your website
It is important to update your website regularly to keep your customers interested. One of the great advantages of having a website is that you can change its content virtually overnight at minimal cost (unlike re-printing brochures and flyers).
This is just a brief overview of the process involved in getting your website up and running. In future articles we will cover each step in more detail.
For more information about getting your business on the internet you may also wish to check out:
Arundo Donax - How to turn a bog plant into a serenade
I began playing the clarinet when I was 11 years old, back in 1984, after many months of pestering my parents. Although I wasn't particularly good when I started, I loved the look and feel of the instrument and I persevered, and I finally ended up as a music student at Leeds University with the clarinet as my first instrument. I didn't find the notes that hard when I was a kid; I could produce a tune without too many tears, but my tunes just didn't sound very nice until I'd got to about grade 6. A lot of young players experience the same problem, and the problem is really twofold- 1) producing a beautiful sound takes lots of practice, and 2) producing a really beautiful sound depends on your reed.
What a Reed is All About
If you don't play a reed instrument you may well be wondering what I'm talking about, so I'll explain a little bit here. (For the already initiated, feel free to skip this bit!)
A clarinet is fundamentally a tube which is approximately 2 feet long; in fact it's the same length as a flute or an oboe. The flute has a small hole which you blow across. This makes the air inside the tube start vibrating, (like if you blow across the top of a bottle and hear a note). The oboe and the clarinet, however, use reeds. These are small bits of cane, (or sometimes plastic), which are attached to the top of the instrument. The cane goes in your mouth and you make it vibrate with your lips and jaw; this sets the column of air vibrating, and hey presto a note sounds. (It's very hard to describe how you actually do this because it all happens inside your closed mouth!) You can't play the clarinet (or the oboe or bassoon) unless you have a reed attached to the top, and these essential bits of kit have, unfortunately, quite a short life span. How long a reed lasts depends on lots of things, like how often you play, what brand you're using, and even what the weather's like. (It's a natural material so it's affected by the humidity of the atmosphere).
The Reed you really Need
So now you know you need a reed, off you pop down to your local music shop, or find one online. The first question they'll ask you is what kind of reed do you need? Narrowing it down to just "a clarinet reed" won't get you very far. You have to specify the strength of your reed. And choose a brand. And choose one of a range of reeds within that brand. And how many do you need to buy?
So how can a little bit of cane be so diverse and complicated? How can you possibly choose?! Let's take a look at the first dilemma: Strength.
Reeds are categorised by their thickness, and given a grading from 1 to 5, including half grades. Basically speaking, the thicker the reed, the more difficult it is to produce a note, but the nicer the note will sound. So, if you are a beginner, (and therefore in possession of relatively weak jaw muscles compared to a veteran), you should choose a low number, known as a "soft" reed. Around 1.5 would be good, but go for a 1 if the 1.5 is too difficult to blow on. As you get better, you'll gradually be able to progress to thicker reeds (known as "hard"). To get a decent sound, you need to be playing on a minimum 3.5, and most professionals will be playing on 4.5 to 5s. Personally, I play on a 3.5. OK, let's move on to brand and product:
In the UK there are mainly 2 companies battling it out in the clarinet reed field, and they are Vandoren and Rico. I'll try to make a comparison between them, since your basic purchasing decision will be between these two brands. Here's what Vandoren say about their standard B flat clarinet reeds:
"The most widely played reeds in the professional world."
And here's what Rico claim about their most similar product:
"The world's most popular reed." One thing you may be able to deduce from this is that Vandoren reeds are better and also more expensive. They produce a better tone for professionals, who are more picky about these things than amateurs. However, there are many more amateurs piping away in their bedrooms on a Sunday afternoon than there are professionals, and they tend to choose Rico, so they can't be all bad.
Here's how the prices compare from 2 reputable online firms, for a box of 10, (the normal number you get in a box).
>From www.myatt.co.uk Rico Reeds cost £8.50 and Vandoren cost £11.00
>From www.dawkes.co.uk Rico cost £6.25 and Vandoren cost £10.25
Rico are well ahead in the tasty price league, so why is it that all these professionals are choosing Vandoren? It really boils down to the sound that comes out when you blow, which to the professional is the only major issue. For us mere mortals though, there are another couple of points to consider- how many of these 10 newly purchased reeds actually work properly, and how long will one last before I have to change it? I've played on both these brands of reeds over the 20 and a bit years I've been playing this instrument, and I believe that Rico are more consistent in the strength grades they put in the box, and they last for the same length of time as Vandoren's, but whereas a box of Vandoren sometimes produces a really stunning beautiful reed, a box of Rico never does.
When you buy a box of reeds, it is quite normal to find that some of them just won't work. This is rather annoying, (especially if you're paying more than a pound a piece), but it's a fact of life. The cane is rigorously tested by both companies, and left to mature for a considerable time, but nothing can stop the cane from becoming slightly modified once it's been packaged up in its box. My personal average from Vandoren is 50% usable reeds per box, while Rico usually gives me 7 or 8 that are playable. So, in effect, they work out even cheaper than you'd bargained for. I think that Rico's testing technology is perhaps superior to Vandoren's, to produce these results. They are more effective at eliminating inferior cane earlier in the process, before it actually gets in the box. In my mind there is no doubt that Vandoren Reeds sound better, but the large difference in price is not justified by the small difference in sound. Going back to my earlier point about the quality of!
my early attempts at the clarinet, I should point out that playing on the correct strength of reed, (and one that isn't too old), will ensure an acceptable sound from anyone. So how to find the correct strength? Read on!
How Strong is your Jaw?
Rico Reeds come in strengths 1-5 (not all brands do). If you're a complete beginner, buy a 1, a 1.5 and a 2. (You can buy reeds singly, both online and in shops. Some shops let you try the reed out before you buy it just in case it's a duffer (see above), but not all of them.) Try the 2 first. If you produce a sound quite easily and without pain, congratulations! You've found the right strength. If you find it takes lots of breath to get a note and you can hear air escaping from the side of your mouth as you blow, the reed is too hard. Try the 1.5, and repeat the process. Remember that with clarinet reeds, the only way is up! When you have been playing on your 1.5 for some time, try the 2 from time to time. Don't play for too long, as your jaw will tire easily and you may bite into your bottom lip. If this happens, your mouth will be too sore to play until it's healed, and you'll have to start with a softer reed again. Gradually increase your playing time, until you can play on the 2 with no problems. Then move on to the 2.5, and repeat the process.
If you stick with a softer reed once your jaw muscles have become stronger, your sound will deteriorate. Playing on a soft reed produces a buzzy kind of tone and can sound flat. Higher notes on the instrument are more difficult to reach with a softer reed, which is another reason why you need to climb that reed ladder! Sometimes reeds are a little bit too hard or a little bit too soft, without being impossible to play on. You don't have to chuck them away in cases like this, you can "doctor" them slightly to make them more playable: if the reed is too soft, trim a VERY narrow (hair's breadth) strip from the tip of the reed with a sharp knife. Or push another reed between it and the mouthpiece of the instrument, pushing it away from the rectangular hole in the mouthpiece slightly. If the reed is too hard, you can sand it a little. Use a piece of 220-grain sandpaper. Rub just a little, then test the reed- a tiny rub can produce a large difference (which is why they don't always get it right in the factory- it's a precision art!)
Breaking in Reeds
All new reeds need to be "broken in". They won't produce a consistent sound until they've been used a few times. Rico reeds are faster to break in than Vandoren. You need to wet the reed (in your mouth or with water- I prefer my mouth, but Rico advise water, as some people have very acidic saliva apparently, eeww), then play on it for just a few minutes each day, until the sound becomes consistent. It's good to have a few reeds "breaking" as you never know when you'll need a new one.
Replacing Reeds
It's easy to tell when your reed needs replacing- after serving you well for a week or 3 (depends how much you play), one day it'll just sound rubbish, completely different to the last time you used it. Every time it goes in your mouth the reed is getting attacked by various germs and other organisms, and your saliva begins the process of breaking down organic matter ready for your tummy, so it's no wonder that they don't last forever! Another obvious sign that you need a new reed is when you accidentally slice it in half while attaching it to the instrument, a tragically common event. (It's held onto your plastic mouthpiece by metal band called a ligature. This has quite sharp sides and if you're not careful it'll cut right through in one go. Don't worry though, I've never heard of anyone cutting their finger on one!)
Arundo Donax
This is the technical name for the reed plant which Rico and Vandoren use to make their reeds. It grows in India and the Mediterranean, and can get as high as 6 metres tall. If you live in the right climate you can grow it in your garden, but I wouldn't suggest trying to grow and make reeds yourself from scratch, although some fanatics do.....
Other Types of Reed
For the standard clarinet, you will be buying B♭ clarinet reeds. It's unlikely that you would buy the wrong reed size, as this is what 99% of people play on, but just for the record, there are also E♭ and bass clarinet reeds. E♭ reeds are for a smaller instrument, and bass clarinet reeds for a beast of an instrument, so neither will fit. The A clarinet takes the B♭ reed, as it is only very fractionally bigger than the B♭ instrument. (Orchestral players need two instruments, an "A" and a "B♭"; see for more on transposing instruments).
Final Verdict
The Rico clarinet reed is a great choice for the amateur player. They are reasonably priced, reasonably consistent within the box, and produce a nice sound. They are easy to get hold of and excellent value for money, especially if you frequently slice them in half! If you want to get serious on the instrument, you should probably move on to more expensive reeds from Vandoren.
What a Reed is All About
If you don't play a reed instrument you may well be wondering what I'm talking about, so I'll explain a little bit here. (For the already initiated, feel free to skip this bit!)
A clarinet is fundamentally a tube which is approximately 2 feet long; in fact it's the same length as a flute or an oboe. The flute has a small hole which you blow across. This makes the air inside the tube start vibrating, (like if you blow across the top of a bottle and hear a note). The oboe and the clarinet, however, use reeds. These are small bits of cane, (or sometimes plastic), which are attached to the top of the instrument. The cane goes in your mouth and you make it vibrate with your lips and jaw; this sets the column of air vibrating, and hey presto a note sounds. (It's very hard to describe how you actually do this because it all happens inside your closed mouth!) You can't play the clarinet (or the oboe or bassoon) unless you have a reed attached to the top, and these essential bits of kit have, unfortunately, quite a short life span. How long a reed lasts depends on lots of things, like how often you play, what brand you're using, and even what the weather's like. (It's a natural material so it's affected by the humidity of the atmosphere).
The Reed you really Need
So now you know you need a reed, off you pop down to your local music shop, or find one online. The first question they'll ask you is what kind of reed do you need? Narrowing it down to just "a clarinet reed" won't get you very far. You have to specify the strength of your reed. And choose a brand. And choose one of a range of reeds within that brand. And how many do you need to buy?
So how can a little bit of cane be so diverse and complicated? How can you possibly choose?! Let's take a look at the first dilemma: Strength.
Reeds are categorised by their thickness, and given a grading from 1 to 5, including half grades. Basically speaking, the thicker the reed, the more difficult it is to produce a note, but the nicer the note will sound. So, if you are a beginner, (and therefore in possession of relatively weak jaw muscles compared to a veteran), you should choose a low number, known as a "soft" reed. Around 1.5 would be good, but go for a 1 if the 1.5 is too difficult to blow on. As you get better, you'll gradually be able to progress to thicker reeds (known as "hard"). To get a decent sound, you need to be playing on a minimum 3.5, and most professionals will be playing on 4.5 to 5s. Personally, I play on a 3.5. OK, let's move on to brand and product:
In the UK there are mainly 2 companies battling it out in the clarinet reed field, and they are Vandoren and Rico. I'll try to make a comparison between them, since your basic purchasing decision will be between these two brands. Here's what Vandoren say about their standard B flat clarinet reeds:
"The most widely played reeds in the professional world."
And here's what Rico claim about their most similar product:
"The world's most popular reed." One thing you may be able to deduce from this is that Vandoren reeds are better and also more expensive. They produce a better tone for professionals, who are more picky about these things than amateurs. However, there are many more amateurs piping away in their bedrooms on a Sunday afternoon than there are professionals, and they tend to choose Rico, so they can't be all bad.
Here's how the prices compare from 2 reputable online firms, for a box of 10, (the normal number you get in a box).
>From www.myatt.co.uk Rico Reeds cost £8.50 and Vandoren cost £11.00
>From www.dawkes.co.uk Rico cost £6.25 and Vandoren cost £10.25
Rico are well ahead in the tasty price league, so why is it that all these professionals are choosing Vandoren? It really boils down to the sound that comes out when you blow, which to the professional is the only major issue. For us mere mortals though, there are another couple of points to consider- how many of these 10 newly purchased reeds actually work properly, and how long will one last before I have to change it? I've played on both these brands of reeds over the 20 and a bit years I've been playing this instrument, and I believe that Rico are more consistent in the strength grades they put in the box, and they last for the same length of time as Vandoren's, but whereas a box of Vandoren sometimes produces a really stunning beautiful reed, a box of Rico never does.
When you buy a box of reeds, it is quite normal to find that some of them just won't work. This is rather annoying, (especially if you're paying more than a pound a piece), but it's a fact of life. The cane is rigorously tested by both companies, and left to mature for a considerable time, but nothing can stop the cane from becoming slightly modified once it's been packaged up in its box. My personal average from Vandoren is 50% usable reeds per box, while Rico usually gives me 7 or 8 that are playable. So, in effect, they work out even cheaper than you'd bargained for. I think that Rico's testing technology is perhaps superior to Vandoren's, to produce these results. They are more effective at eliminating inferior cane earlier in the process, before it actually gets in the box. In my mind there is no doubt that Vandoren Reeds sound better, but the large difference in price is not justified by the small difference in sound. Going back to my earlier point about the quality of!
my early attempts at the clarinet, I should point out that playing on the correct strength of reed, (and one that isn't too old), will ensure an acceptable sound from anyone. So how to find the correct strength? Read on!
How Strong is your Jaw?
Rico Reeds come in strengths 1-5 (not all brands do). If you're a complete beginner, buy a 1, a 1.5 and a 2. (You can buy reeds singly, both online and in shops. Some shops let you try the reed out before you buy it just in case it's a duffer (see above), but not all of them.) Try the 2 first. If you produce a sound quite easily and without pain, congratulations! You've found the right strength. If you find it takes lots of breath to get a note and you can hear air escaping from the side of your mouth as you blow, the reed is too hard. Try the 1.5, and repeat the process. Remember that with clarinet reeds, the only way is up! When you have been playing on your 1.5 for some time, try the 2 from time to time. Don't play for too long, as your jaw will tire easily and you may bite into your bottom lip. If this happens, your mouth will be too sore to play until it's healed, and you'll have to start with a softer reed again. Gradually increase your playing time, until you can play on the 2 with no problems. Then move on to the 2.5, and repeat the process.
If you stick with a softer reed once your jaw muscles have become stronger, your sound will deteriorate. Playing on a soft reed produces a buzzy kind of tone and can sound flat. Higher notes on the instrument are more difficult to reach with a softer reed, which is another reason why you need to climb that reed ladder! Sometimes reeds are a little bit too hard or a little bit too soft, without being impossible to play on. You don't have to chuck them away in cases like this, you can "doctor" them slightly to make them more playable: if the reed is too soft, trim a VERY narrow (hair's breadth) strip from the tip of the reed with a sharp knife. Or push another reed between it and the mouthpiece of the instrument, pushing it away from the rectangular hole in the mouthpiece slightly. If the reed is too hard, you can sand it a little. Use a piece of 220-grain sandpaper. Rub just a little, then test the reed- a tiny rub can produce a large difference (which is why they don't always get it right in the factory- it's a precision art!)
Breaking in Reeds
All new reeds need to be "broken in". They won't produce a consistent sound until they've been used a few times. Rico reeds are faster to break in than Vandoren. You need to wet the reed (in your mouth or with water- I prefer my mouth, but Rico advise water, as some people have very acidic saliva apparently, eeww), then play on it for just a few minutes each day, until the sound becomes consistent. It's good to have a few reeds "breaking" as you never know when you'll need a new one.
Replacing Reeds
It's easy to tell when your reed needs replacing- after serving you well for a week or 3 (depends how much you play), one day it'll just sound rubbish, completely different to the last time you used it. Every time it goes in your mouth the reed is getting attacked by various germs and other organisms, and your saliva begins the process of breaking down organic matter ready for your tummy, so it's no wonder that they don't last forever! Another obvious sign that you need a new reed is when you accidentally slice it in half while attaching it to the instrument, a tragically common event. (It's held onto your plastic mouthpiece by metal band called a ligature. This has quite sharp sides and if you're not careful it'll cut right through in one go. Don't worry though, I've never heard of anyone cutting their finger on one!)
Arundo Donax
This is the technical name for the reed plant which Rico and Vandoren use to make their reeds. It grows in India and the Mediterranean, and can get as high as 6 metres tall. If you live in the right climate you can grow it in your garden, but I wouldn't suggest trying to grow and make reeds yourself from scratch, although some fanatics do.....
Other Types of Reed
For the standard clarinet, you will be buying B♭ clarinet reeds. It's unlikely that you would buy the wrong reed size, as this is what 99% of people play on, but just for the record, there are also E♭ and bass clarinet reeds. E♭ reeds are for a smaller instrument, and bass clarinet reeds for a beast of an instrument, so neither will fit. The A clarinet takes the B♭ reed, as it is only very fractionally bigger than the B♭ instrument. (Orchestral players need two instruments, an "A" and a "B♭"; see for more on transposing instruments).
Final Verdict
The Rico clarinet reed is a great choice for the amateur player. They are reasonably priced, reasonably consistent within the box, and produce a nice sound. They are easy to get hold of and excellent value for money, especially if you frequently slice them in half! If you want to get serious on the instrument, you should probably move on to more expensive reeds from Vandoren.
Web-Programming: An Alternative To Unproductive Advertising
As of this writing the television writers in Hollywood are on strike. The significance of this strike will be felt far beyond the current television season and impact what and where people will get their entertainment in the future. People are now not only embracing the Web for their information needs but are also increasingly turning to it for their entertainment needs as well.
The Web will soon be 'the place' that fills the programming vacuum that network broadcasters have been unwilling and/or unable to fulfill. People were prepared to tolerate constant reruns, dreadful programming, and incessant repetitive ads as long as there was no alternative, but that is no loner the case. Viewers now have an option to bad television and it's the Web, but why should you care and more importantly how can you take advantage of the opportunity it creates?
Why Should You Care?
Information and entertainment have melded in recent years creating what has been dubbed 'infotainment.' It can be argued that the evening news has become more entertainment than hard news and let's not even get into venues like the History Channel where fact and fiction seem to be presented in equal and indistinguishable doses. So what does all this have to do with you and how you deliver your marketing message?
The time is coming, if it is not here already, that companies will not be able to get away with merely uploading online brochures and catalogues, or even extensive screeds singing the praises of every feature and benefit associated with their offering. People demand more, they insist your website be interesting, informative, and entertaining; and it is this aspect of entertainment that potentially makes your marketing presentation memorable.
What Is Web-Programming?
Web-programming takes the creative Web-video campaign concept and pushes it one step further up the evolutionary marketing scale by integrating the message into a programming environment.
This concept is not an entirely new idea, in fact one of the most noted television commercial campaigns of 1991 was the Taster's Choice soap opera-like series of spots that wove the marketing message into a courtship relationship between two apartment neighbors. In an environment where information and entertainment blur, it seems like an ideal solution to capturing an audience's attention and interest, and creating a viral buzz that few products or services can generate by presenting a bulleted list of features.
Build Brand Relationships
James E. Aisner, in his article 'More Than A Name: The Role of Brands in People's Lives' (HBS Working Knowledge For Business Leaders) references the research of Harvard Business School Professor, Susan M. Fournier, "Fournier has created a typology of fifteen different types of relationships between consumers and their brands." These brand relationships include the secret affair, the best friend, kinship, the fling, courtship, the marriage-of-convenience, casual friendship, childhood friendship, mother and child, and master-slave.
What kind of relationship does your brand have with your audience? Is it a short-term fling that starts with a lot of heat and passion and then quickly cools-off, or is it a long-term marriage that will last a lifetime? Finding, and promoting the most appropriate and beneficial brand relationship is the marketing goal of your Web-programming marketing initiative.
Part of the problem many smaller organizations have in developing successful marketing campaigns is that they think in terms of products and services rather than brands; features and benefits rather than relationships. Almost every product or service on the market can be replaced with a competitive substitute, but brands are much harder to replace; brands create a competitive barrier through the development of relationships based on prototypical psychological and emotional factors, the same kinds of factors that govern your personal relationships.
Generate Trust, Confidence, Loyalty and Passion
In his article, "A Brand New You," (Psychology Today), W. Eric Martin tells us that brands came into vogue in the post Civil War era as a response to an increasing mobile population that began to lose touch with local merchants and shopkeepers. Brands became a substitute for the personal relationships that people had with their suppliers. This seemingly minor historic fact helps us understand the significance of brands in today's Web-centric marketplace.
Today's consumer-client, whether retail or business-to-business is more remote, more isolated from the supplier than ever before. The Web allows us to market our products and services anywhere in the world, but in order to actually make a sale, we must establish a relationship that generates a sufficient level of trust, confidence, loyalty and passion. Sneer if you will at the passion and loyalty most Macintosh users have for their computers, but what other computer company can claim such brand allegiance?
Relationships Are Based On Psychological Needs
At the heart of any relationship is the emotional or psychological need that that relationship fulfills. If you haven't found that connection in what you do then you are at a definite competitive disadvantage; and you are competing on the most fickle and transient of factors: price and features. In business, there will always be someone who is prepared to sell a substitute product or service for less, or with more bells and whistles. So why would you ever want to compete on that basis?
It really doesn't matter what business you're in, there is always some emotional or psychological component to what you do. The iPod is the market leader in its category despite numerous competitors; it holds that position not because it's the cheapest, which it definitely isn't, or the product with the most features, which it probably is, but because it's an iPod - not a tool but a status symbol, a badge of intelligence and taste, a brand relationship akin to being a member of the coolest club in town.
Web-programming Development
In short, Web-programming is a marketing campaign based on a series of episodic Web-videos tied together by plotline and character development; an ongoing initiative that weaves into its storyline the marketing pitch. The integration of the marketing pitch can be done subtly using product placement techniques or overtly making the pitch part of the story arc.
This marketing technique is not for everyone; it is certainly not for the unsophisticated or for the marketer who is afraid to experiment or to take a chance.
If you are looking for an instant direct financial return like a big sale sign in your storefront window then you are not looking for marketing, you're looking for promotions. Marketing is all about building a brand relationship with your audience. The more time and effort you invest in marketing, the more solid your brand relationship will be, and the more appropriate the clients you'll attract and keep.
Web-programming - Where To Begin
There are four minimal requirements needed to create an episodic Web-video marketing campaign: need identification, point-of-view, attitude, and transformation. These are the same elements defined by Syd Field, the well-respected author, producer, screenwriter, and lecturer, in his book, "The Screenwriter's Workbook;" and they are the same elements that all top-notch salesmen use to build client-relationships - ask yourself - have you ever met a top salesman who wasn't a great storyteller?
Need Identification
Like all episodic series yours will need a hero or protagonist; this is the person your audience will identify with and who will act as their surrogate.
Your protagonist must be searching for something that relates to the emotional or psychological need fulfilled by your product or service. Anyone who has ever had to deal with an insurance company certainly understands the Geico caveman's need for respect. His frustration is the perfect foil for the company's marketing message, 'it's so easy a caveman can do it.' We are all cavemen at heart, seeking respect from big business bureaucracies that make us jump through hoops just to place an order.
Point-of-View
You must present your material from a particular point-of-view. Is your presentation told from the protagonist's point-of-view or is it told from an objective observer's, perhaps through voice-over. It can even be counter-intuitive and be told from an antagonist's point-of-view.
If your scenario is more procedural based, you can even present it from different points-of-view each delivering alternative perspectives, each highlighting different aspects of the emotional fulfillment.
Attitude
Attitude is especially important for Web-based presentations, but it is also one of the scariest aspects of marketing for the faint-of-heart. All too often businesses shy away from bold statements, or extreme displays for fear of alienating some segment of the audience, but it's attitude that grabs people's attention, makes the presentation memorable, and qualifies leads and inquiries.
Transformation
One of the hardest things a commercial-based episodic series has to deal with is story arc. What change takes place over the life of the series and is the campaign concept strong enough to sustain itself? What transformation takes place? Does your protagonist find fulfillment or does he fail to find the emotional or psychological answer he's looking for. If you're not sure what deep-seated need your product or service satisfies, find the conflict.
All stories are based on conflict, frustration, and desire, whether it's the search for 'whiter whites' or better insurance. If your concept is without conflict, you are not illustrating the need for your solution.
You can show successful transformation based on the adoption of your solution or you can show failure whichever works best for what you're marketing and the audience you are trying to attract.
Conclusion
The Web has from its infancy provided business with enormous marketing opportunities. As the Web's capabilities increase over time, these opportunities increase as well. As much as other media tries to adapt to the competitive pressures created by the Web, old methods and attitudes die-hard; the writer's strike being just one example of a group trying to maintain dominance in an environment they cannot control. The opportunities are there to make your marketing mark if you have the courage to act.
The Web will soon be 'the place' that fills the programming vacuum that network broadcasters have been unwilling and/or unable to fulfill. People were prepared to tolerate constant reruns, dreadful programming, and incessant repetitive ads as long as there was no alternative, but that is no loner the case. Viewers now have an option to bad television and it's the Web, but why should you care and more importantly how can you take advantage of the opportunity it creates?
Why Should You Care?
Information and entertainment have melded in recent years creating what has been dubbed 'infotainment.' It can be argued that the evening news has become more entertainment than hard news and let's not even get into venues like the History Channel where fact and fiction seem to be presented in equal and indistinguishable doses. So what does all this have to do with you and how you deliver your marketing message?
The time is coming, if it is not here already, that companies will not be able to get away with merely uploading online brochures and catalogues, or even extensive screeds singing the praises of every feature and benefit associated with their offering. People demand more, they insist your website be interesting, informative, and entertaining; and it is this aspect of entertainment that potentially makes your marketing presentation memorable.
What Is Web-Programming?
Web-programming takes the creative Web-video campaign concept and pushes it one step further up the evolutionary marketing scale by integrating the message into a programming environment.
This concept is not an entirely new idea, in fact one of the most noted television commercial campaigns of 1991 was the Taster's Choice soap opera-like series of spots that wove the marketing message into a courtship relationship between two apartment neighbors. In an environment where information and entertainment blur, it seems like an ideal solution to capturing an audience's attention and interest, and creating a viral buzz that few products or services can generate by presenting a bulleted list of features.
Build Brand Relationships
James E. Aisner, in his article 'More Than A Name: The Role of Brands in People's Lives' (HBS Working Knowledge For Business Leaders) references the research of Harvard Business School Professor, Susan M. Fournier, "Fournier has created a typology of fifteen different types of relationships between consumers and their brands." These brand relationships include the secret affair, the best friend, kinship, the fling, courtship, the marriage-of-convenience, casual friendship, childhood friendship, mother and child, and master-slave.
What kind of relationship does your brand have with your audience? Is it a short-term fling that starts with a lot of heat and passion and then quickly cools-off, or is it a long-term marriage that will last a lifetime? Finding, and promoting the most appropriate and beneficial brand relationship is the marketing goal of your Web-programming marketing initiative.
Part of the problem many smaller organizations have in developing successful marketing campaigns is that they think in terms of products and services rather than brands; features and benefits rather than relationships. Almost every product or service on the market can be replaced with a competitive substitute, but brands are much harder to replace; brands create a competitive barrier through the development of relationships based on prototypical psychological and emotional factors, the same kinds of factors that govern your personal relationships.
Generate Trust, Confidence, Loyalty and Passion
In his article, "A Brand New You," (Psychology Today), W. Eric Martin tells us that brands came into vogue in the post Civil War era as a response to an increasing mobile population that began to lose touch with local merchants and shopkeepers. Brands became a substitute for the personal relationships that people had with their suppliers. This seemingly minor historic fact helps us understand the significance of brands in today's Web-centric marketplace.
Today's consumer-client, whether retail or business-to-business is more remote, more isolated from the supplier than ever before. The Web allows us to market our products and services anywhere in the world, but in order to actually make a sale, we must establish a relationship that generates a sufficient level of trust, confidence, loyalty and passion. Sneer if you will at the passion and loyalty most Macintosh users have for their computers, but what other computer company can claim such brand allegiance?
Relationships Are Based On Psychological Needs
At the heart of any relationship is the emotional or psychological need that that relationship fulfills. If you haven't found that connection in what you do then you are at a definite competitive disadvantage; and you are competing on the most fickle and transient of factors: price and features. In business, there will always be someone who is prepared to sell a substitute product or service for less, or with more bells and whistles. So why would you ever want to compete on that basis?
It really doesn't matter what business you're in, there is always some emotional or psychological component to what you do. The iPod is the market leader in its category despite numerous competitors; it holds that position not because it's the cheapest, which it definitely isn't, or the product with the most features, which it probably is, but because it's an iPod - not a tool but a status symbol, a badge of intelligence and taste, a brand relationship akin to being a member of the coolest club in town.
Web-programming Development
In short, Web-programming is a marketing campaign based on a series of episodic Web-videos tied together by plotline and character development; an ongoing initiative that weaves into its storyline the marketing pitch. The integration of the marketing pitch can be done subtly using product placement techniques or overtly making the pitch part of the story arc.
This marketing technique is not for everyone; it is certainly not for the unsophisticated or for the marketer who is afraid to experiment or to take a chance.
If you are looking for an instant direct financial return like a big sale sign in your storefront window then you are not looking for marketing, you're looking for promotions. Marketing is all about building a brand relationship with your audience. The more time and effort you invest in marketing, the more solid your brand relationship will be, and the more appropriate the clients you'll attract and keep.
Web-programming - Where To Begin
There are four minimal requirements needed to create an episodic Web-video marketing campaign: need identification, point-of-view, attitude, and transformation. These are the same elements defined by Syd Field, the well-respected author, producer, screenwriter, and lecturer, in his book, "The Screenwriter's Workbook;" and they are the same elements that all top-notch salesmen use to build client-relationships - ask yourself - have you ever met a top salesman who wasn't a great storyteller?
Need Identification
Like all episodic series yours will need a hero or protagonist; this is the person your audience will identify with and who will act as their surrogate.
Your protagonist must be searching for something that relates to the emotional or psychological need fulfilled by your product or service. Anyone who has ever had to deal with an insurance company certainly understands the Geico caveman's need for respect. His frustration is the perfect foil for the company's marketing message, 'it's so easy a caveman can do it.' We are all cavemen at heart, seeking respect from big business bureaucracies that make us jump through hoops just to place an order.
Point-of-View
You must present your material from a particular point-of-view. Is your presentation told from the protagonist's point-of-view or is it told from an objective observer's, perhaps through voice-over. It can even be counter-intuitive and be told from an antagonist's point-of-view.
If your scenario is more procedural based, you can even present it from different points-of-view each delivering alternative perspectives, each highlighting different aspects of the emotional fulfillment.
Attitude
Attitude is especially important for Web-based presentations, but it is also one of the scariest aspects of marketing for the faint-of-heart. All too often businesses shy away from bold statements, or extreme displays for fear of alienating some segment of the audience, but it's attitude that grabs people's attention, makes the presentation memorable, and qualifies leads and inquiries.
Transformation
One of the hardest things a commercial-based episodic series has to deal with is story arc. What change takes place over the life of the series and is the campaign concept strong enough to sustain itself? What transformation takes place? Does your protagonist find fulfillment or does he fail to find the emotional or psychological answer he's looking for. If you're not sure what deep-seated need your product or service satisfies, find the conflict.
All stories are based on conflict, frustration, and desire, whether it's the search for 'whiter whites' or better insurance. If your concept is without conflict, you are not illustrating the need for your solution.
You can show successful transformation based on the adoption of your solution or you can show failure whichever works best for what you're marketing and the audience you are trying to attract.
Conclusion
The Web has from its infancy provided business with enormous marketing opportunities. As the Web's capabilities increase over time, these opportunities increase as well. As much as other media tries to adapt to the competitive pressures created by the Web, old methods and attitudes die-hard; the writer's strike being just one example of a group trying to maintain dominance in an environment they cannot control. The opportunities are there to make your marketing mark if you have the courage to act.
Sex Crimes and Their Defense in Minnesota
Under Minnesota law, criminal sexual conduct or sex crimes may include: rape, statutory rape, unwanted sexual contact, criminal sexual assault, child pornography, child solicitation or child enticement, solicitation of mentally impaired persons, sodomy, incest, fornication, pimping, and prostitution. Some prohibitions, like those against sodomy and fornication, are technically still on the books, but rarely enforced.
The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has the following statistics on sexual conduct and sexual assault crimes:
The number of reported sex offenses in Minnesota increased almost threefold between 1971 and 1984, but has remained relatively constant since then.
The number of sex offenses (sexual assault, rape, sexual conduct) reported to the police increased from 2,303 offenses in 1971 to 6,589 offenses in 1984. In 1993, 6,439 sex offenses were reported, of which 49 percent resulted in an arrest.
Between 1981 and 1992, adult convictions for sex offenses involving force remained at the level of 145 to 190 each year, but convictions for child sexual abuse nearly tripled, rising from 160 to 461, and convictions for interfamilial sex abuse increasing from 3 to 154.
Reflecting these trends, about 90 percent of the victims of convicted sex offenders were children or adolescents. Nearly all of the victims of adjudicated juvenile offenders were under 18 years old, as were 84 percent of the victims of adult offenders (with 46 percent under age 13). Nearly all convicted sex offenders (97 percent) were male and most of their victims were female, although 18 percent of the victims of juvenile offenders and 13 percent of the victims of adult offenders were male.
Criminal sexual conduct is divided into four degrees depending upon the age of the victim, age of the accused, whether force is used, and the existence of any special relationship between the parties, such as parent-child or physician-patient. In Minnesota, judges are required to double the punishment imposed on a pattern sex offender, which is someone who repeats or is likely to repeat a sex crime, or someone who plans the crime. Moreover, if convicted of a sex crime, offenders must register with police departments across the state.
FIRST DEGREE. First Degree sexual conduct/assault requires sexual penetration with another person. Remember - A mistake regarding the complainant's age or consent by the underage person is not a defense to a sexual conduct crime.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.
Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:
The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or
The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.
Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.
Penalty. Not more than 30 years and a fine of not more than $40,000. There is a presumptive executed sentence of 144 months.
SECOND DEGREE. Second degree criminal sexual conduct/assault does not require penetration. Instead, it involves "sexual contact." Sexual contact has been defined by case law to mean touching of the genital area, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks with a sexual intent. The sexual touching may occur on the flesh or through the clothing.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.
Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:
The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or
The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.
Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.
Penalty. Not more than 25 years and payment of a fine of not more than $35,000.
THIRD DEGREE. Third degree criminal sexual conduct is similar to first degree in that it requires sexual penetration. Penetration is liberally construed to included penetration of the anal or genital openings and specifically includes digital and oral penetration. Third degree sexual conduct is generally charged for behavior that is not as extreme as first degree sexual assault.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 24 months older than the complainant. In any such case it shall be an affirmative defense, which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence, that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older. Consent by the complainant is not a defense.
Force or Coercion. the actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the penetration
Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.
Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.
Penalty. If the actor in such a case is no more than 48 months but more than 24 months older than the complainant, the actor may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years. Otherwise a person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years and a payment of not more than $30,000.
FOURTH DEGREE. A person who engages in sexual contact with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is no more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age or consent to the act by the complainant is a defense. In a prosecution under this clause, the state is not required to prove that the sexual contact was coerced. Additionally, if the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant or in a position of authority over the complainant fourth degree sexual conduct may be charged. Consent by the complainant to the act is not a defense. In any such case, it shall be an affirmative defense which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older.
Force or Coercion. The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual contact.
Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.
Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.
Significant Relationship. The actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual contact.
Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to not more than ten years and a payment of a fine of not more than $20,000.
FIFTH DEGREE. A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree:
(1) if the person engages in nonconsensual sexual contact; or
(2) the person engages in masturbation or lewd exhibition of the genitals in the presence of a minor under the age of 16, knowing or having reason to know the minor is present.
"Sexual contact" does not include the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the buttocks. Sexual contact does includes the intentional removal or attempted removal of clothing covering the complainant's intimate parts or undergarments, and the nonconsensual touching by the complainant of the actor's intimate parts, effected by the actor, if the action is performed with sexual or aggressive intent.
. Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and payment of a fine of not more than $3,000. The charge may be increased to a felony with imprisonment for not more than five years and payment of $10,000, if the person has prior violations.
AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE
In today's world much hysteria and controversy swirls around sexual abuse. A person accused may find that even if acquitted they are looked upon with suspicion and fear. The allegation itself can carry with significant stigma and social repercussions. Too often, prosecutors charge out criminal sexual conduct cases based solely on an allegation. There is often little physical evidence. Though it may seem the case is weak, an aggressive and proactive defense is necessary. That may include hiring experts to review witness interviews for suggestive language and improper techniques.
If you are accused take these steps:
Do not give any statements to law enforcement and do not discuss the case with any other people until you have retained legal counsel;
Hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer;
Write down the names of potential helpful witnesses;
Only after retaining a lawyer should you make written notes regarding the allegations. these should be provided to your lawyer.
The Minnesota Office of the Legislative Auditor has the following statistics on sexual conduct and sexual assault crimes:
The number of reported sex offenses in Minnesota increased almost threefold between 1971 and 1984, but has remained relatively constant since then.
The number of sex offenses (sexual assault, rape, sexual conduct) reported to the police increased from 2,303 offenses in 1971 to 6,589 offenses in 1984. In 1993, 6,439 sex offenses were reported, of which 49 percent resulted in an arrest.
Between 1981 and 1992, adult convictions for sex offenses involving force remained at the level of 145 to 190 each year, but convictions for child sexual abuse nearly tripled, rising from 160 to 461, and convictions for interfamilial sex abuse increasing from 3 to 154.
Reflecting these trends, about 90 percent of the victims of convicted sex offenders were children or adolescents. Nearly all of the victims of adjudicated juvenile offenders were under 18 years old, as were 84 percent of the victims of adult offenders (with 46 percent under age 13). Nearly all convicted sex offenders (97 percent) were male and most of their victims were female, although 18 percent of the victims of juvenile offenders and 13 percent of the victims of adult offenders were male.
Criminal sexual conduct is divided into four degrees depending upon the age of the victim, age of the accused, whether force is used, and the existence of any special relationship between the parties, such as parent-child or physician-patient. In Minnesota, judges are required to double the punishment imposed on a pattern sex offender, which is someone who repeats or is likely to repeat a sex crime, or someone who plans the crime. Moreover, if convicted of a sex crime, offenders must register with police departments across the state.
FIRST DEGREE. First Degree sexual conduct/assault requires sexual penetration with another person. Remember - A mistake regarding the complainant's age or consent by the underage person is not a defense to a sexual conduct crime.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.
Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:
The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or
The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.
Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.
Penalty. Not more than 30 years and a fine of not more than $40,000. There is a presumptive executed sentence of 144 months.
SECOND DEGREE. Second degree criminal sexual conduct/assault does not require penetration. Instead, it involves "sexual contact." Sexual contact has been defined by case law to mean touching of the genital area, breast, inner thigh, or buttocks with a sexual intent. The sexual touching may occur on the flesh or through the clothing.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 years of age but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority.
Fear of Great Harm. Circumstances existing at the time of the act cause the complainant to have a reasonable fear of imminent great bodily harm to the complainant or another;
Armed with Weapon. The actor is armed with a dangerous weapon or any article used or fashioned in a manner to lead the complainant to reasonably believe it to be a dangerous weapon and uses or threatens to use the weapon or article to cause the complainant to submit;
Personal Injury. The actor causes personal injury to the complainant, and either of the following circumstances exist:
The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish sexual penetration; or
The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless;
The actor is aided or abetted by one or more accomplices and force or coercion is used or the accomplice is armed with a dangerous weapon.
Significant Relationship. A significant relationship generally means that the parties live together. It is a crime if the actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was under 16 years of age at the time of the sexual penetration.
Penalty. Not more than 25 years and payment of a fine of not more than $35,000.
THIRD DEGREE. Third degree criminal sexual conduct is similar to first degree in that it requires sexual penetration. Penetration is liberally construed to included penetration of the anal or genital openings and specifically includes digital and oral penetration. Third degree sexual conduct is generally charged for behavior that is not as extreme as first degree sexual assault.
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is more than 36 months older than the complainant; or the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 24 months older than the complainant. In any such case it shall be an affirmative defense, which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence, that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older. Consent by the complainant is not a defense.
Force or Coercion. the actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the penetration
Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.
Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.
Penalty. If the actor in such a case is no more than 48 months but more than 24 months older than the complainant, the actor may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years. Otherwise a person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 15 years and a payment of not more than $30,000.
FOURTH DEGREE. A person who engages in sexual contact with another person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fourth degree if any of the following circumstances exists:
Age Difference. The complainant is under 13 years of age and the actor is no more than 36 months older than the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age or consent to the act by the complainant is a defense. In a prosecution under this clause, the state is not required to prove that the sexual contact was coerced. Additionally, if the complainant is at least 13 but less than 16 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant or in a position of authority over the complainant fourth degree sexual conduct may be charged. Consent by the complainant to the act is not a defense. In any such case, it shall be an affirmative defense which must be proved by a preponderance of the evidence that the actor believes the complainant to be 16 years of age or older.
Force or Coercion. The actor uses force or coercion to accomplish the sexual contact.
Mental & Physical Infirmity of Victim. The actor knows or has reason to know that the complainant is mentally impaired, mentally incapacitated, or physically helpless.
Position of Authority. The complainant is at least 16 but less than 18 years of age and the actor is more than 48 months older than the complainant and in a position of authority over the complainant. Neither mistake as to the complainant's age nor consent to the act by the complainant is a defense.
Significant Relationship. The actor has a significant relationship to the complainant and the complainant was at least 16 but under 18 years of age at the time of the sexual contact.
Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to not more than ten years and a payment of a fine of not more than $20,000.
FIFTH DEGREE. A person is guilty of criminal sexual conduct in the fifth degree:
(1) if the person engages in nonconsensual sexual contact; or
(2) the person engages in masturbation or lewd exhibition of the genitals in the presence of a minor under the age of 16, knowing or having reason to know the minor is present.
"Sexual contact" does not include the intentional touching of the clothing covering the immediate area of the buttocks. Sexual contact does includes the intentional removal or attempted removal of clothing covering the complainant's intimate parts or undergarments, and the nonconsensual touching by the complainant of the actor's intimate parts, effected by the actor, if the action is performed with sexual or aggressive intent.
. Penalty. A person convicted may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and payment of a fine of not more than $3,000. The charge may be increased to a felony with imprisonment for not more than five years and payment of $10,000, if the person has prior violations.
AGGRESSIVE DEFENSE
In today's world much hysteria and controversy swirls around sexual abuse. A person accused may find that even if acquitted they are looked upon with suspicion and fear. The allegation itself can carry with significant stigma and social repercussions. Too often, prosecutors charge out criminal sexual conduct cases based solely on an allegation. There is often little physical evidence. Though it may seem the case is weak, an aggressive and proactive defense is necessary. That may include hiring experts to review witness interviews for suggestive language and improper techniques.
If you are accused take these steps:
Do not give any statements to law enforcement and do not discuss the case with any other people until you have retained legal counsel;
Hire an experienced criminal defense lawyer;
Write down the names of potential helpful witnesses;
Only after retaining a lawyer should you make written notes regarding the allegations. these should be provided to your lawyer.
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