The "G" Word

As humans we seem to want to know what the next person is doing. I am sure that was the case from early caveman to the present. Facts verus fiction have made many a newspaper, magazine, or TV station quite popular and in some cases, individuals rich. Whether the facts are true appears irrelevant. All one has to do is click on the television and see the latest "reality TV" programs that seem to flourished over the last few years or talk to that nosy neighbour who seems to know what everyone is doing on the block. Yes, I am talking about the "G" word - gossip. Where did the term originate?

Well, early politicians required feedback from the public to determine what the people considered important. Since there were no telephones, TV's or radios, the politicians sent their assistants to local taverns, pubs, and bars. They were told to "go sip some ale" and listen to people's conversations and political concerns. Many assistants were dispatched at different times. "You go sip here" and "You go sip there." The two words "go sip" were eventually combined when referring to the local opinion and, thus we have the term "gossip."

Hmmm. Did you hear about.........

Quote of the Day

"By the time we get old enough not to care what anybody says about us, nobody says anything."

An Arm and A Leg

In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs," therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."

Quote for the Day

"It's easy to make a buck. It's a lot tougher to make a difference".

Did You Know?

In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon. However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the others. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.
However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled. Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)

Quote of the Day

"There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Just don't respond with encores."

Cna raed tihs?

Amazing what the human mind can decipher. Can you read it?

fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid tooCna yuo raed tihs? Olny 55 plepoe cani cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

Quote of the Day

The first rule of tinkering is to save all the parts.

Becoming Wealthy

I came across the following article which I thought was very worthwhile to share it with you.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BECOME WEALTHY? by Loral Langemeier

Imagine never worrying about money ever again. Allow yourself to get lost in this fantasy for a moment: your bills are always paid with ease, you own several beautiful homes, your kids are attending the top colleges, and the money just keeps rolling in quicker than you can spend it…

Did you get a clear image? Or did you starting thinking things like, "It's silly to get lost in a fantasy," or "That's nice for someone else, but it won't happen to me," or even, "Who am I to think I could have that?" Some of us can more easily visualize our dreams than others, and when it comes to being wealthy, your ability to do this is a key factor in your success.

Absolutely anyone can become a millionaire.

Yes, I mean anyone, including you. I don't care how much debt you're in, or your line of work. And, not just wealthy, but a millionaire. I know because I'm a wealth coach who specializes in doing just that: making people millionaires.

If you think you can't become a millionaire, you won't. But if you want to become wealthy, you'll have to change your attitude and behavior when it comes to wealthy.

I cover the many aspects of this process in my book, The Millionaire Maker, but for now let's just focus on the mental aspect. As essential first step in becoming a millionaire is the ability to open up your mind to the very real possibility that you can have whatever it is you dream of.

What would you do differently if you knew that you couldn't fail?

Every circumstance you have in your life is the result of your thoughts, from which you base your behavior. When you believe you can succeed, you end up doing things differently.

Right now you probably have a lot of beliefs around why you can't be wealthy. A large part of my work with my clients involves reconditioning their minds so that they can clearly see the abundance and wealth possibilities that constantly surround them.

The next step on the road to millions is creating a vision of wealth. This is where you write out specific financial goals you want in your life. I usually have my clients write out what they want by the end of a year's time, so that their goals are measurable.

Your vision of wealth may include quitting your full-time job to start a new business, lowering your debt by half, or making $500 extra a month in passive income. It's really up to you.

When you create this vision, you need to use what I call "unlimited thinking." However, you also need to set goals that are realistic and do-able. This is where the help of a mentor or wealth coach is key. Such professionals will have a realistic sense of how far you can stretch your mind and still be able to achieve your yearly goals.

Lastly, you need to be patient. Becoming a millionaire does not happen overnight, it takes time. It also requires work and commitment. Millionaires are active creators of their futures, and they always have a plan. And although they ultimately expect to succeed, they don't let failure (an inevitable challenge on the path to success) hold them back.

Your wealth is your choice. And the question is, would you rather dwell on what you don't have and why you can't have it, or spend your time creating what you do want?

Loral Langemeier, author, speaker and founder of Live Out Loud is a pioneer in financial coaching who empowers people to build wealth and achieve financial success.

Interesting Facts:Part 3

SPAIN Spain literally means 'the land of rabbits.'

ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA St. Paul, Minnesota, was originally called Pig's Eye after a man named Pierre "Pig's Eye" Parrant who set up the first business there.

ROADS Chances that a road is unpaved in the U.S.A.: 1%, in Canada: 75%.

TEXAS The deepest hole ever made in the world is in Texas. It is as deep as 20 empire state buildings but only 3 inches wide.

UNITED STATES The Eisenhower interstate system requires that one-mile in every five must be straight. These straight sections are usable as airstrips in times of war or other emergencies.

WATERFALLS The water of Angel Falls (the World's highest ) in Venezuela drops 3,212 feet (979 meters).
They are 15 times higher than Niagara Falls.

So, didn't it feel good to learn something new ??

I have always said you should learn something new every day. Unfortunately, most of us are at that age where what we learn today, we forget tomorrow. But, give it a shot anyway!

Interesting facts- Part 2

LOS ANGELES Los Angeles's full name is El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de Los Angeles de Porciuncula -- and can be abbreviated to 3.63% of its size: ** L.A. **

NEW YORK CITY The term "The Big Apple" was coined by touring jazz musicians of the 1930's who used the slang expression "apple" for any town or city. Therefore, to play New York City is to play the big time - The Big Apple. There are more Irish in New York City than in Dublin, Ireland; more Italians in New York City than in Rome, Italy; and more Jews in New York City than in Tel Aviv, Israel.

OHIO There are no natural lakes in the state of Ohio, every one is manmade.

PITCAIRN ISLAND The smallest island with country status is Pitcairn in Polynesia, at just 1.75 sq. Miles/4,53 sq. Km.

ROME The first city to reach a population of 1 million people was Rome, Italy in 133 B.C.
There is a city called Rome on every continent.

Quote for the Day

"There is nothing wrong with making mistakes. Just don't respond with encores."

Interesting Facts:Part 1

Happy Valentines Day!
I received the following from a friend and thought I might share them with you.


ALASKA More than half of the coastline of the entire United States is in Alaska.

AMAZON The Amazon rainforest produces more than 20% the world's oxygen supply. The Amazon River pushes so much water into the Atlantic Ocean that, more than one hundred miles at sea off the mouth of the river, one can dip fresh water out of the ocean. The volume of water in the Amazon river is greater than the next eight largest rivers in the world combined and three times the flow of all rivers in the United States.

ANTARCTICA Antarctica is the only land on our planet that is not owned by any country. Ninety percent of the world's ice covers Antarctica. This ice also represents seventy percent of all the fresh water in the world. As strange as it sounds, however, Antarctica is essentially a desert. The average yearly total precipitation is about two inches. Although covered with ice (all but 0.4% of it, i.e.), Antarctica is the driest place on the planet, with an absolute humidity lower than the Gobi desert.

BRAZIL Brazil got its name from the nut, not the other way around.

CANADA Canada has more lakes than the rest of the world combined.
Canada is an Indian word meaning "Big Village."

CHICAGO Next to Warsaw, Chicago has the largest Polish population in the world.

DETROIT Woodward Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, carries the designation M-1, so named because it was the first paved road anywhere.

DAMASCUS, SYRIA Damascus, Syria, was flourishing a couple of thousand years before Rome was founded in 753 BC, making it the oldest continuously inhabited city in existence.

ISTANBUL, TURKEY Istanbul, Turkey, is the only city in the world located on two continents.

Should I waterproof my moccasins/boots?

I would suggest that you apply a good water repellent spray on suede or a leather cream on moosehide and deerskin to keep your footwear in "like new condition". If your moccasins get wet, let them "air-dry" naturally. Do not use heat sources such as stoves, campfires, hairdryers, etc. These procedures leave your moccasins dry and crisp, and unable to be restitched or resoled.

Quote of the Day

If you don't want anyone to know, don't do it.-- Chinese Proverb

This Day in History- Feb. 09/07

Events on this day in history:

--> 1877, U.S. Weather Service is founded.
--> 1885, First Japanese arrive in Hawaii.
--> 1895, Volleyball is invented by W.G. Morgan in Massachusetts.
--> 1891, First shipment of asparagus arrives from Sacramento.
--> 1964, G.I. Joe doll is introduced.
--> 1969, The Boeing 747 takes its first commercial flight.

This Day in History - Feb 08/07

Events on this day in history:

--> 1693, Charter granted for College of William and Mary, 2nd college in
US.
--> 1883, Louis Waterman begins experiments that invent the fountain pen.
--> 1908, Boy Scouts of America founded.
--> 1915, "Birth of a Nation" opens at Clune's Auditorium in Los Angeles.
--> 1922, Radio arrives in the White House.
--> 1957, Public Library's bookmobile initiated in front of City Hall.
--> 1977, Earthquake, at 5.0, strongest since 1966.

History of Moccasins - Part 3

One style of the moccasins that has become quite fashionable recently is the mukluk. Mukluks or Kamiks were worn by the Inuit for warmth and durability. Traditionally, they were made from seal or reindeer skin with the fur worn outside and lined with soft fur such as rabbit. As with most clothing, they were made by the Inuit women . Native Americans living in the sub arctic regions adapted the boot using skins avaiable to them, usually caribou, moose, or deer. The word "mukluk" is from a specific Northern region where the Yupik Inuit live. In their language it means bearded seal. Another Inuit word for the boot is "kamik". Either word is acceptable in describing the boot.

Quote of the Day
"Horse sense is what keeps horses from betting on what people will do."

History of Moccasins - Part 2

Moccasins usually followed a pattern that outlines the foot. However, each tribe added their own flair to such an extent that an individual could be idenitied by his/her moccasins. In fact, some tribes were named by their moccasins, for example, the Blackfeet tribe. Not only could a tribe could be identified by the pattern but also by the design that decorated the footwear. Materials used included quills, beads, or paint. Today these moccasins are sought by collectors and museums from around the world. To view examples of regional moccasin styles please go to http://www.nativetech.org/clothing/moccasin/mocmap.html.

Quote of the Day

"The best thing you can give someone is a chance. "