The Clever Apprentice

In Dutch it means: Woon je in Waterland of Maasgouw en heeft u BKR notering. Lenen met zonder BKR is nergens zo eenvoudig. Koop een nieuwe auto met geld lenen met een negatieve bkr, 341739 euro is gewoon mogelijk om te lenen. Van IJsselstein tot Roermond, geld lenen met zonder BKR is altijd mogelijk.

Check out to see if the merchant bank who is tending to give you a loan is proficient. 6 percent loan rate may come along so middling but will that be uniform after you have to pay for your credit loan. You should be undimmed today to analyze if you have a special offer or if you don’t with the moneylender that offers you a credit loan. That’s why now you really need to suss out and insure if you can have a money loan at a just percent rate of interest. At present you can suss out interest rates quickly at websites and pick up if there are possible sneaky traps you should be aware of. Lots of of the merchant banks wil show you a rate that looks just but feels severely or so after a period of time. A bank in Deltona Florida or so may have a total completely different actual interest rate for a 17500 dollar loan then a bank in Bethlehem Pennsylvania and that makes a immense clear gap in your yearly pay offs. It doesn’t matter if you live in Lawton Oklahoma or in Bryan Texas a good online check up will alleviate you often .

A true love story

“So, was it an eyes-meet-across-the-room-thing and you knew you were destined for each other instantly?” I asked my Mom. “No,” she laughed, “it was a swinging-door-thing and once we met, then we knew it was destiny.”

It was 1946 when my parents met in postwar Oldenburg, Germany while working for British Intelligence. Dad (a.k.a. Peter Russell) had survived WW II after being in many challenging battles. He was a “frightfully English chap” who grew up in the south of England. Mom (Blanche Moore - a.k.a. Pat Russell) had experienced the war in a different way. One of the many bombing raids on Belfast, Northern Ireland had demolished her family home.

It only took Dad one week after he saw Mom going through the now infamous swinging door into the Intelligence Offices, to make sure he was introduced to her. Once they met, they were inseparable and spent many hours dancing at the Officers Club in Oldenburg. Mom and Dad were known for being fabulous ballroom dancers and other dance participants would frequently stand aside and watch them together as they swirled around the dance floor, eyes locked on one another.. Dad was a lean, good-looking man of 6′ and he was handsome in his British Intelligence Uniform. Mom was and still is a petite 5′ 2″ pretty Irish woman with twinkly eyes and a penchant for laughing a lot.

As they danced together, Dad would sing (in German):

“Do you remember the precious time when we came together for life,
My heart sang a little melody for you day and night.
Do you remember that beautiful time?

Even though youth will fade, songs of love will always stay.
Should fate ever darken your happiness,
My song will always light it up for you.”

They were the first British couple to be married in Oldenburg after the war. They were transferred to the village of Brake on the Weser River in Germany as a husband/wife team with British Intelligence specializing in political and counter intelligence. Dad had a network of agents under his supervision. He and his agents contributed to the break up of the Communist party in that area of Germany. “Peter and Pat’s” cover for being in post war Germany was the interrogation of returning prisoners of war from Russia.

But at night their real work would begin. Dad would direct and rendezvous with various agents in the field. Another agent, would cautiously make his way back to Mom with stolen documents. This home rendezvous would usually happen after midnight with Mom waiting nervously for the agent to arrive. She would then translate and type the information immediately, so that it could be sent to the head office of British Intelligence in London, England. It was a tense and nerve wracking time.

“Do you hear my secret calling
Open up your sweet loving heart,
When you have longingly thought of me tonight.
Then I will be with you in your dream
Let me look at you once again
Show me your much loved face
Then turn off the light
My heart will not forget you
Please go to sleep”

Dad died in 1989 in Salmon Arm, seven years after retiring as a Special Agent for the Canadian National Railroad Police in Prince George. As well as being named Citizen of the Year in 1972, he was also the recipient of the Governor General’s award for his contribution to the youth of that city.

In the years since his death, Mom had searched for their special song. She wrote to CBC radio, and she had asked people she met who were of German descent if they had heard of the song. She was nearly ready to give up until eight months ago. She was in “Styles on Mane” in Vernon having her hair done, when a gentleman came in to have his hair cut. As he had a German accent, Mom asked him if he had heard of the song. He said he hadn’t, but promised to look into it for her. (His name is Julius and he is the neighbour and good friend of the owner of the shop, Cynthia Robertson)

One month later, Mom went to her weekly hair appointment. As she sat down, Cynthia turned to her friend Julius who was in the shop and said, “Julius, I forgot to turn on the radio today. Would you turn it on for me please?”

Soon the beautiful words of the song “Do You Hear My Secret Calling” were being played throughout the salon. Julius Topf had contacted friends in Germany and with the help of a popular newspaper columnist the song had been found on a CD of hit songs from 1934 to 1943. Mom was completely overwhelmed with happiness when she heard the song again after 50 years.

My parents shared the special kind of intense and enduring love alluded to in this lovely song. It was their heart song. Now she can close her eyes as she listens to the music and from her memory bank, imagine that she is back on the dance floor, being tenderly held in the arms of her beloved as he sang to her.

“Just as autumn and spring will always be,
So will sorrow and joy forever change the earth.
Every hour of sadness is followed by a day of sunshine,
Every parting is followed by a new embrace.
Storms in life will pass as long as we will understand each other.
When your heart fills with sorrow, quietly sing my song again.”

Carole Fawcett is a published free lance writer and owner of a stress management and laughter therapy business. http://www.afunnybusiness.ca She is the founder and trainer of therapeutic clowns in the beautiful Okanagan Valley, in B.C., Canada

You may find this hard to believe but winning a fight is actually pretty simple.

It’s not necessarily always going to be easy…but it is simple.

Here’s what I mean:

Everyone in the world — big, small, strong, weak, fat, skinny, whatever — has soft spots, like the nose, the kidney, the testicles, etc…and hard spots, like the elbow, the kneecap, the top of the head, etc.

And when you’re familiar with where all the hard parts on your body are…and where all the soft parts on your attacker’s body are…it’s a simple (again, not necessarily easy) matter of striking his soft spots with your hard spots.

For example, imagine a 300-pound, muscle-bound maniac attacks a 78-year old lady who understands street-fighting. If the lady brings her knee up into the guy’s testicles hard enough…he’s out for the count.

I don’t care how tough he is.

And if she does it especially hard…he may not even get up at all and have to be taken to the hospital on a stretcher.

See what I mean? It’s simple.

What’s the bottom line:

This: Know where the “hard” and “soft” parts of the human body are, and you’ll be able to take out anyone who attacks you. No matter how big, mean, or violent they are.

When I first started getting really into poker, I spent a long time reading poker books in the book store, trying to figure out which one was most worth my time and money, which would make me the best player in the shortest amount of time. While there are a lot of legendary books out there, including ones by Phil Gordon, David Sklansky, Dan Harrington, and just about everyone else you’ve seen on High Stakes Poker, the one that I felt was the easiest introduction to the game, that did the clearest, cleanest job of introducing basics and intermediate ideas to winning at Texas Holdem, was Phil Hellmuth’s ‘Play Poker Like the Pros.’

Hellmuth’s book begin with the basics, the nuts and bolts of poker, such as positions and betting structure, as well as Hellmuth’s top ten hands and how to play them preflop and postflop. A lot of the information offered in the early sections is stuff most semi-experienced poker players have become well versed in, but it is laid out well and is a good thing to gloss over, and definitely a good map for the newbie.

More interesting across the board is Hellmuth’s breakdown of actually applying these hands to various situations. He breaks down each of his hands and how they should work with the flop and other player’s betting. He doesn’t get into a lot of position play or bluffing, but is more concerned with just the basics of playing good, back to basics old school poker.

While I wouldn’t recommend this book to players who have gotten a grasp on the intermediate play of poker, I do think it is one of the best beginner’s tools and an important primer in the heart of the game. Though if you are looking for advanced strategy and gambling theory, you’d do best to jump on ahead.

I was talking to a parent recently and they told me that their son was not going to compete in wrestling because they were afraid they would get frustrated when he lost. The parent felt the child was far too sensitive to handle the frustration of failure and may get ‘burnt out’. My response was, “What will they do when they get frustrated in life?” What happens when that kid has got to suck it up and go forward when it REALLY counts?
Being a new parent, my daughter is 2 and I have another on the way, I only want the best for my child. What parent doesn’t? It’s obvious this parent I mentioned loves their child, but that’s not the issue. The issue is what’s best for everyone involved. What this child is being taught is to quit when things get tough. In an effort to protect the child, the parent winds up doing a disservice to the child. The result is undermining the ultimate goal- the training of the child.

Life is training

How does this pertain to you and why the hell am I brining it up? The segue’s here: when you train, you want to look good. You want to hit hard and perfect every time. You want to throw for ippon every time. You want to score a knock out or submission every time. Every technique you throw hits its mark. Just like that parent- you want everything to go smoothly with out any hiccups or mistakes. As in life: “what you want and what you got, aren’t exactly the same thing.” If you are training and you never make a mistake, you are probably not pushing your self or being pushed enough. If that’s not the case- give me your number, I want to train with you.
If you have ever been in a situation where you had to survive, hardly anything goes smoothly- save the one punch knock out. It’s frustrating, it doesn’t look aesthetically pleasing; it’s moments of frustration highlighted by some good or bad luck. Please note: according to my Dad “luck” is where preparation meets opportunity. No doubt a sentiment echoed from his days in the Marines.

Like that parent I mentioned before- you treat your training like that child. You are worried about the minutia. Micro-managing your work out so you feel better every second without looking at the big picture. How will you deal with the frustration of a real knock down, drag out fight? Unless you’re dealing with a push-over, you will you’re your hands full. Where a lot of tradition type martial artists fail is that they expect that perfect reverse punch to hit its target EVERY TIME. This is a goal of training. An idea, like finding the perfect cherry blossom or the perfect cheese steak; the one shot, one kill can be translated any number of ways. Again, the Japanese language is comprised of a lot of synonyms. It could mean, when you get the opportunity- make it count!

In your training you need to replicate the frustration when you train. If you are hitting your training dummy perfect every time- go harder and faster. If you are being too successful- push the people around you. Get them a little agitated (I’ll leave that to your imagination). If you don’t, you will be setting yourself up for a big let down. When it really counts- YOUR instincts will not be ready to fight through it. Just like that child, you will look to back away and quit because that’s what you were taught.
What do you do when you get frustrated?- you train harder and fight through it.

Remember: Life is Training

Training enables you to handle what life hands you better. Experience is what you get after you deal with what life gives you. Your experience gets put back into your training.

You are constantly training and teaching- whether you like it or not. No matter what you do you are shaping your behavior and the behavior of people around you. People affect you the way you allow them to.
But that’s a whole other discussion.

Copyright 2003 www.thetruthaboutselfdefense.com ©

Damian Ross is the owner of Zenshin and instructor of Tekkenryu jujutsu and Kodokan Judo. He started competing in the combative sport of wrestling in 1975 at the age of 7 and began his study of Asian martial arts with Moo Duk Kwan Tae Kwon Do at the age of 16 in 1984. In 1989, Shinan Cestari gave a seminar at Sensei Ross’s dojo. Sensei Ross has trained under Shinan Cestari’s direction ever since. In addition to Tekkenryu Jujutsu, Judo and Tae Kwon Do, Sensei Ross has also studied Bando. Sensei Ross continues his study of Judo under the direction of 8th degree black belt Yoshisada Yonezuka and Tekkenryu Jujutsu under it’s founder, Carl Cestari. Below are is a list of some of his title ranks
Yodan (fourth degree black belt) Tekkenryu Jujutsu under Carl Cestari
Shodan (First degree black belt) Kodokan Judo under Yoshisada Yonezuka
Varsity Wrestling Lehigh University under Thad Turner
2nd Degree Black Belt Tae Kwon Do

Mi Casa is located in the Esquilino area, downtown Rome, very close to Termini station and to the main tube line. From here you can reach the most important monuments by foot making it the perfect location to enjoy the beauty of this wonderful city. In this area you can also find a very famous multiethnic market where you will experience scents and flavours from all over the world.

We share many passions among which travelling and curiosity for other cultures. We feel close to travellers more than tourists and often we prefer a bed & breakfast to a big hotel because it allows us to be in contact with local people. We would like to offer the same chance to you hoping that Mi Casa will be Tu Casa.
Mi Casa is in a building from the beginning of the last century. It is cosy, clean and recently renewed.
The double rooms, all different, can cater to every kind of request.

We will serve you a tasty and abundant breakfast that will help you tackle the day of Rome sightseeing ahead.
When you return at your leisure, you can relax with a good book, a little zap or chatting with other guests, while drinking a cup of tea or coffee. We will provide daily cleaning and fresh linen.
At your disposal: iron, hair-dryer, books, city maps, tourist information, and on request guided tours and pick up service from the airports.

Close to Mi Casa you may find laundry, internet point, cabs, international phone calls points at special rates.

HOW TO REACH OUR BED AND BREAKFAST IN ROME:
From Termini station you can find our place with just one tube stop. The station is reachable either from Ciampino airport by bus either from Fiumicino airport by train, one every 20 minutes.
If you are travelling by car, from the highway follow the signs to Grande Raccordo Anulare, exit Tangenziale Est, going towards San Lorenzo and then Piazza Vittorio.

The Art of War is an ancient Chinese text on strategy and warfare written by a Sun Wu, a brilliant military general more than two thousand years ago. It is considered one of the oldest attempts at analyzing and documenting the specific components of strategic warfare, with wisdom that is as applicable today as it was thousands of years ago.

Many Chinese and international scholars debated the exact dates that Sun Tzu waged war against his enemies and many question the legitimacy of such a historical figure actually existing. Rather than a sole general or military expert being the sole author, they interpreted the manuscripts as a collection of works pieced together by Chinese Philosophers.

In 1972 a set of engraved, bamboo texts were discovered in a grave near a city called Linyi Shandong. This discovery supported the existence of Sun Tzu’s. The texts were dated between 134-118 B.C and not only confirmed Sun Tzu’s historical existence, but also added new sections of strategic text. To support a timeline, clues can be found within his 13 Chapters of strategy, and especially in chapter two. Some scholars feel that the descriptions of war chariots that were used by the ancient Chinese were only used for a brief period ending in the 4th Century BC.

The actual text is 13 chapters covering all aspects of strategy from the use of psychological warfare, to his use of strategic deception, and the value he placed on the armies of secret agents and double agents.

As an example of text in which he uses an exercise in deception, he advised that if your enemy was near, to make him think you are far, if your enemy is far, make him think you are near. In an area that you are weak, make him think you are strong, in an area that you are strong, make him think that you are weak.

While he could be a ruthless military tactician, he also recognized that it requires more skill to take a city intact, than it was to destroy it. He also said that many successful battles is not the result of skill, but to rather to subduing the enemy without fighting is the test of true skill.

There are many free online version of Sun Tzu with links posted at the bottom. As you begin your study in the ancient, but applicable art of war, you will find varying translations due to “disagreements” of exact translations of the Chinese text. Even with the small variations, the message will resonate with accuracy, and relevancy.

The below excerpt is from an ancient biography on Sun Tzu and provides some insight into Sun Tzu’s rise to power. It outlines the story of Sun Tzu and the concubines. It is made possible with permission from Project Guttenberg with the complete text found at:

www.clas.ufl.edu/users/gthursby/taoism/sunntro.htm

Ssu-ma Ch`ien gives the following biography of Sun Tzu

Sun Tzu Wu was a native of the Chi State. His ART OF WAR brought him to the notice of Ho Lu, King of Wu.

Ho Lu said to him: “I have carefully perused your 13 chapters. May I submit your theory of managing soldiers to a slight test?”
Sun Tzu replied: “You may.”
Ho Lu asked: “May the test be applied to women?”

The answer was again in the affirmative, so arrangements were made to bring 180 ladies out of the Palace. Sun Tzu divided them into two companies, and placed one of the King’s favorite concubines at the head of each. He then bade them all take spears in their hands, and addressed them thus: “I presume you know the difference between front and back, right hand and left hand?”
The girls replied: Yes.

Sun Tzu went on: “When I say “Eyes front,” you must look straight ahead. When I say “Left turn,” you must face towards your left hand. When I say “Right turn,” you must face towards your right hand. When I say “About turn,” you must face right round towards your back.”

Again the girls assented. The words of command having been thus explained, he set up the halberds and battle-axes in order to begin the drill. Then, to the sound of drums, he gave the order “Right turn.” But the girls only burst out laughing. Sun Tzu said: “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, then the general is to blame.”

So he started drilling them again, and this time gave the order “Left turn,” whereupon the girls once more burst into fits of laughter. Sun Tzu: “If words of command are not clear and distinct, if orders are not thoroughly understood, the general is to blame. But if his orders ARE clear, and the soldiers nevertheless disobey, then it is the fault of their officers.”

So saying, he ordered the leaders of the two companies to be beheaded. Now the king of Wu was watching the scene from the top of a raised pavilion; and when he saw that his favorite concubines were about to be executed, he was greatly alarmed and hurriedly sent down the following message: “We are now quite satisfied as to our general’s ability to handle troops. If we are bereft of these two concubines, our meat and drink will lose their savor. It is our wish that they shall not be beheaded.”

Sun Tzu replied: “Having once received His Majesty’s commission to be the general of his forces, there are certain commands of His Majesty which, acting in that capacity, I am unable to accept.”

Accordingly, he had the two leaders beheaded, and straightway installed the pair next in order as leaders in their place. When this had been done, the drum was sounded for the drill once more; and the girls went through all the evolutions, turning to the right or to the left, marching ahead or wheeling back, kneeling or standing, with perfect accuracy and precision, not venturing to utter a sound. Then Sun Tzu sent a messenger to the King saying: “Your soldiers, Sire, are now properly drilled and disciplined, and ready for your majesty’s inspection. They can be put to any use that their sovereign may desire; bid them go through fire and water, and they will not disobey.”

But the King replied: “Let our general cease drilling and return to camp. As for us, we have no wish to come down and inspect the troops.”
Thereupon Sun Tzu said: “The King is only fond of words, and cannot translate them into deeds.” After that, Ho Lu saw that Sun Tzu was one who knew how to handle an army, and finally appointed him general. In the west, he defeated the Ch`u State and forced his way into Ying, the capital; to the north he put fear into the States of Ch`i and Chin, and spread his fame abroad amongst the feudal princes. And Sun Tzu shared in the might of the King.

Leadership Development and Leadership Training are the focus of Aubie Pouncey’s career. He works as a contributing writer for http://www.righttolead.com and has put together many leadership training modules that can be found at: http://www.trainercorner.com

In The Quest of the Holy Grail, a uniquely alchemical tale, the sword is seen as a fiery serpent. It is the sword of King David, made by the wise Solomon (Sol Om On) with a pommel stone of all the colors of the earth, with two rib hilts, one made from the fish of the Euphrates and the other the serpent.

It is said to resemble the sword of Arthur, which itself is said to be serpentine in the Dream of Rhonabwy. When Arthur’s sword is drawn it was said that two flames of fire burst out of the jaws of the two serpents, and so wonderful was the sword that it was hard for anyone to gaze at it. It is necessary for Arthur to maintain ownership of the sword, whether it is the sword from the stone or Excalibur, as it ensures his victory and his life. Malory indicates again the brightness of the sword and its fiery aspect, writing: “but it was so bright in his enemies eyes, that it gave light like thirty torches.” But the sword in the stone does not last long and the Lady of the Lake gives Arthur his Excalibur, and also a serpent scabbard, which ensures eternal life. Malory states quite clearly “for whiles ye have the scabbard upon you, ye shall never lose no blood, be ye never so sore wounded; therefore keep well the scabbard always with you.” It is only when Arthur’s half sister Morgan le Fay steals the scabbard and replaces it that Arthur becomes susceptible to the deadly blows of Mordred. The once prized sword is then returned to the water, the home of the Lady of the Lake - the serpent spirit.

There is a remarkable resemblance between the tales of Arthur’s sword and an unsuspecting Chinese legend. A hero from the 6th century BC named Wu Tzu-hsu threw his sword into a river “It shot forth like a spirit-glow, sparkling brightly as it thrice sank and thrice came to the surface with a great gush and then hovered above the water. The god of the river . . . heard the swords roar . . . he rolled in the waters in a great and frothing frenzy . . . Dragons raced along the waves and leaped out of the water. The river god held the sword in his hand and, frightened, told Wu Tzu-hsu to take it back.” (Mair 1983, 141 and 286.) This story, related in the 8th century AD simply cannot differ from Malory’s tale of the sword. In China there were tales of great swords such as Dragon Spring and others still that leap into the waters surrounded by dragons, which churn up the water. Wu Tzu-hsu’s sword is also called Dragon Spring.

But is there any archaeological evidence for the existence of a real sword or swords, which, were seen as serpents? Well we just so happened to find such evidence in the Catalogue of The Fourteenth Park Lane Arms Fair. Lee A Jones authored a fascinating article entitled, “The Serpent in the Sword: Pattern-welding in Early Medieval Swords,” which immediately made the hairs on the back of our necks tingle. (see http://www.vikingsword.com/serpent.html)
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The sword first appeared around 4000 years ago and immediately became the pre-eminent weapon, preferred by the warrior class. Recent metallurgical studies have shown how the complex piled structures or layers improved the sword from as early as 500 BC. Little wonder that the smithy was an important part of legend and folklore, as the skill implied in the making of these swords is substantial. Several rods are welded together down the length of the blade, joining the various levels of metal together. Heated and then pounded into shape, this sword making was an awesome task. Smaller rods that were carburized (improved carbon) were introduced to increase the hardness. This formed steel, an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon, which was introduced into the edges of the blade as it was stronger and more effective.

Through the 5th to 10th centuries AD sword smiths actually managed to manipulate this piled structure to create wonderful designs within the blade. The method remained virtually unchanged even into the 20th century as can be seen with the daggers of the Nazi’s, who utilized it extensively.

The patterns (seen above) are seen from the varying degrees of trace elements within the different rods, showing alternating shades. The rods are invariably twisted down the shaft, forming a spiral effect. These “twisted” swords are seen as early as the 1st century BC in the La Tene period, although more effectively used from the 3rd and 5th centuries - the very early period of Arthur. Cassiodorus was a secretary of Theodoric and in 520 AD he wrote to a northern Germanic tribe regarding a gift of words praising their skills, especially the shadows and colors seen in the blades, which he likened to “tiny snakes.” In the 10th century Kormaks Saga says concerning the sword Skofnung: “a covering goes with it and thou shall leave it quiet; the sun must not shine on the upper guard, nor shall thou comest to the fighting place, sit alone, and there draw it. Hold up the blade and blow on it; then a small snake will creep from under the guard; incline the blade and make it easier for it to creep back under the guard.” It is the considered opinion of some scientists that this implies that the dew would reveal the pattern of the serpent upon the sword, giving the impression that a serpent is emerging from the sheath.

This inclusion of the serpent in the blade was eventually replaced with iron inlaid letters and symbols, and Christian phrases such as In Nomine Domini (In the name of the Lord). The remarkable archaeological fact of serpents appearing in the designs of 5th century swords links perfectly with the time of Arthur. As the Pendragon or Head/Chief Dragon Lord he would certainly have been seen with such a device and in the stories mentioned above there are textual links in the legend.

About the Author

Philip Gardiner is the author of the best selling The Serpent Grail, The Shining Ones, and Gnosis: The Secret of Solomon’s Temple Revealed. He does talks, lectures, has his own radio show and does tours across the world via www.powerplaces.com

Philip has a degree in marketing and 9 diplomas ranging from etymology to holistic medicine. He is hosting the Philip Gardiner’s Forbidden Knowledge Conference UK (FKCUK) in July 2006.

www.philipgardiner.net
www.gardinerosborn.com

Past life regression, also known as PLR, might often uncover the reason why we have issues with folk in our present lifetime or why we are concerned of certain situations. You have girlfriends around you in your current life that you will have incredibly met before, just imagine being competent to uncover what happened and what your relationship was to them at that past time and remove blocks that plague you in your current time and even learn talents and bring them into your present lifetime. Past life regression is unbelievable.

When you are having a past life regression, also known as PLR, session you regress to the life you should most need to know about in your current time. This is eye-opening and might point out a great deal about your present life and help you will to go forward with a greater understanding of yourself, your life and the brothers around you.

You can also unearth why you are the person that you are, now that is awesome. If you enjoy nature perhaps you were once working on a farm, if you love to travel maybe you were a gypsy. Instead of ignoring our strengths we should embrace every single one of them.

Each and every experience is wonderful and unique. Other people have uncovered places they had lived in before and ?knew? where to go. Unearth the issues in your present life with Past Life with AnneJirsch.com.