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There’s been so many times when we’ve gotten ourselves in trouble, when we’ve lost lives, money and time, over the assumptions that we’ve made. It has come to a point when we’d say that “assume” is “ass-u-me”. It makes an ass out of you and me.

Assumptions are derived from experience, and from formal schooling. Both of these sources, unfortunately, are coloured by factors of culture and knowledge limitations.

The culture we grow up in influences what we experience (the general Singaporean realises early in his life that it’s best not to question too much) and also our formal schooling (American curriculum tends to be pretty inward-looking, to the point that understanding of close neighbours like Canada and Mexico could be distorted…and we will not talk about China).

Similarly, knowledge limitations influence our experience (would you dare to venture where you do not know?) and also formal schooling (18th Century Astronomy in Europe indicated 6 planets in our Solar System - no Uranus or Neptune).

And so we carry our set of assumptions with us throughout our lives, making changes whenever new experience or knowledge require us to make adjustments and come up with new assumptions. The discovery of Uranus, for example, upsets all calculations, and the new assumptions derived resulted in the discovery of Neptune, and later Pluto (which is no longer a planet).

In management, some of us have gotten admonished, “Don’t assume - ask.” I disagree with people who make such statements. Our lives are governed by assumptions - it’s impossible not to make assumptions!

Imagine the very simple act of eating a slice of bread. We assume that the act of eating it would nourish us, and the process of eating it would be good, based simply on previous experiences with it.

But wait! Are you sure the bread has not been tampered with? Are you sure the ingredients are not tainted with rye or some other hallucinogens? Are you sure the yeast is ok? Perhaps the person making the bread has HIV and a cut? Perhaps the baking process was improper? Don’t assume - ask! But goodness, how do we know whether the person we ask are either not lying or else knows the whole truth?

Or how about getting into the elevator? How do you know it’s safe? Has the maintence been done? Was the maintenance done properly? Perhaps a freak accident just 10 minutes ago has weakened the cable considerably? Perhaps the electrical circuit is going to blow a chip soon (but passed the test because it fits into the requirements?)? Could you trust that certificate of maintence signed by the supervisor? Paranoia sets in, and you’d rather take the stairs. But you’re sure the stairs are not going to collapse any moment?

You’d never get to get that slice of bread if you cannot make the assumption that it should be ok. You’d never get to your apartment unless you make the assumption that, generally, the lift should be safe. Our life is based around assumptions, so to tell the person who made the mistake that he’s wrong in assuming is very bad leadership.

Someone was once asked, “How do you avoid bad mistakes?”
“By having plenty of experience.”
“And how do you get plenty of experience?”
“By making plenty of bad mistakes.”

I’ve heard also the story of this executive who has just make a decision that cost the company several million dollars in losses. Ashamed of himself, he went to the CEO to tender his resignation. The CEO glared at him and yelled, “I’ve spent millions of dollars in educating you and now you want to leave? Get out of my face and get back to work!”

A manager who understands this part of life tries to cover as many possible assumptions as possible with his new subordinate. An organisation handbook or the department Standing Operating Procedures (yes, my dear military friends, SOP is not Standard Operating Procedures - they are standing because they are always in place) would be of great help to the new subordinate. He would also understand that he’d need time to make his bad mistakes and gain experience.

The good manager gives his subordinate that space to make the bad mistakes and covers for him. Such managers can give his subordinates the badly needed space to learn and become better persons.

I think asses make great pack animals and companions, if you allow them to!

Michael Chan used to be a teacher, before he left to run a managed fund. When his business failed, he returned to teaching, and is currently a Department Head at the Shanghai Singapore International School.

He constantly applies his business acumen to his job, to add value to his employer. His thoughts on K-12 education and on financial education can be found in his blog at http://www.senseimichael.com

Whilst keeping the skin protected from the skin is absolutely essential for all ages, it is particularly essential for parents to take proper care of their children whilst they are out in the sun. This does not always just include sunscreen, there are other ways you can protect them from the sun also. So just what are the best ways to protect your children from the sun?

Keeping Your Children Well Protected

There are various things you can do to keep your children protected from the sun and sunscreen is one of the most obvious ways to do it. It is thought that you should protect them with a high sun protection factor, just the same as you would to look after fair skin. Therefore a sun protection factor of over fifteen is advised.

As to when to apply the sunscreen, it is always best to apply it between fifteen and thirty minutes before the child goes outside. This gives the sunscreen plenty of time to absorb into the skin and form a protective layer on the skin. If you are unsure as to where you have already applied the sunscreen, it is possible to buy ones which are colored, so that you can be absolutely certain as to where you have applied the lotion.

Babies are particularly in danger of burning extremely easily and so they should never be left in the sun, even if they do have sunscreen on. Always leave push chairs in the shade when you do take the baby out, and make sure that the baby is wearing protective clothing.

Some main ways to help to keep children and babies safe in the sun include:

Keeping Them in The Shade As Much As Possible

As mentioned, babies need to be kept in the shade as much as possible. Children also need to be kept in the shade as much as possible, especially during high peak times where the sun is stronger. This includes the afternoon and late morning. Always remember that the sun constantly moves so somewhere which has a shade at 10:00am may not have shade later on at around 2:00pm. So try and choose a spot which will always provide some shade.

Dress Your Children in Protective Clothing

Knowing what to dress your children in can also keep them protected during the summer months. Hats for example, help to protect the head and scalp from burning as the scalp is the first thing that the sun touches. Also, a hat helps to protect a child from heat stroke so it is definitely a good piece of protective clothing to have in! Try and keep the clothing as baggy as possible and always change their clothing after they have been swimming or playing in the water.

Always Reapply Sunscreen After Your Child Has Been Playing in Water

Even if a sunscreen advertises the fact that it is water proof, it is still best to reapply the sunscreen after your child has been in the water. This is because even some waterproof sunscreens can wash off and that leaves the child completely unprotected. Even if the sunscreen does not complete wash off, the water still lessens the effectiveness of the lotion and so reapplying is essential.

Overall it really is important to monitor your child’s exposure in the sun. Always try and find an area where they can play safely in the shade, and make sure that you protect them more between 10:00am till 3:00pm when the suns rays are at their strongest. Wearing sunscreen is essential and leaving babies out in the sun is definitely not advised! Make sure that the sun protection factor you do use is quite high in order to limit the child’s chances of burning. If you follow the above tips you and your child should have a trouble free, safe summer!

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Everette Harp, very talented Smooth Jazz artist has released his latest album titled Better Days and Wow! It’s really a good one.

This one grabs your attention right from the outset with Modern Religion and won’t let go until the very last note of the very last song Norwegian Lilies, which by the way is another great track.

Better Days has a pleasantly varied, mix of 10 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly talented artist. Most of the songs display a lot of the kind emotion that makes for a really great listen.

One of the nicer things about a CD like this is with this level of talent even if Smooth Jazz isn’t your favorite genre you still can’t help but appreciate the greatness of the artist.

Overall Better Days is excellent from beginning to end. One of those CDs that after a few listens the songs are just etched into your memory. A must have for the Smooth Jazz fan. Really spectacular from beginning to end.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 3, I Just Can’t Stop Thinking About You. This is a great track!

Better Days Release Notes:

Everette Harp originally released Better Days on Nov 03, 1998 on the Blue Note Records label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. Modern Religion
2. Better Days - (featuring Waymon Tisdale)
3. I Just Can’t Stop Thinking About You
4. We Will Answer
5. When Next We Meet (We Will Reminisce) - (featuring George Duke)
6. Stand Up! - (featuring Rick Braun)
7. For You Always 8. Circle Of Friends
9. Mutual Admiration Society - (featuring Bobby Lyle)
10. Norwegian Lilies

Personnel includes: Everette Harp (soprano, alto & tenor saxophones, electronic wind instrument, piano, keyboards, programming, background vocals); Wayne Holmes (vocals, clay flute, keyboards); Rick Braun (flugelhorn); George Duke (piano, Fender Rhodes, synthesizer); Brian “Armani B” Simpson (piano, Fender Rhodes); Bobby Lyle (piano); Michael Beardon (keyboards, synthesizer, drum programming); Paul Jackson, Jr. (guitar, slide guitar); A. Ray “The Weeper” Fuller, Michael Landau, Dwight Sills, Doc Powell (guitar); Marc Antoine (acoustic guitar); Waymon Tisdale, Larry Kimpel, Jimmy Haslip, Marcus Miller, Dwayne “Smitty” Smith (bass); “Lil” John Roberts, Will Kennedy, Michael White (drums); Cassie, Valerie Pinkston (background vocals). Engineers include: Everette Harp, Steve Sykes, Erik Zobler. Recorded at Rue Harp Sound & Westlake Recording Studios, Hollywood, California.

Get the information you want on your favorite smooth jazz songs and artists at http://www.iLoveSmoothJazz.com

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is a life long music fanatic, smooth jazz in particular, and does a daily online radio show featuring smooth jazz music that can be heard at http://www.DaytonSmoothJazzRadio.com

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We all know that the sun causes a lot of damage to the body. As well as the risk of skin cancer, there is also the risk of burning and premature ageing. If we do not protect ourselves properly we really are putting our health at an unnecessary risk.

So just how much do you know about the sun and the dangers? Obviously we are warned all the time, but do you understand why the suns rays? Do you know which one out of UVC, UVB or UVA is worse for you? Thought not!

The Difference between UVC, UVB and UVA Radiation

The sun gives off various different levels of radiation and they are categorized into three main groups.

These are:

UVC

UVC does not bother the skin at all as it is all soaked up into the ozone layer. This type of radiation is also found in things such as germicidal lamps and mercury arc lamps.

UVB

This type of radiation does affect the skin and its main target is the epidermis, or the outer layers. This is the main radiation which causes sunburn and it is usually at its strongest between 10.00am and 2.00pm. This is generally when the sun is at its brightest and in the summer months this type of radiation accounts for up to 70% of a person’s annual UVB dose. As strong as it is, it cannot travel through glass.

UVA

UVA radiation is a main contributor to skin cancer. It used to be thought that it was actually only a minor problem for the skin, but studies have shown that it is in fact quite severe. This is because it goes deeper into the skin than USB radiation and it often is more constant throughout the year. This type of radiation also cannot go through glass.

The Damage They Can Cause

As well as skin cancer, the suns radiation can also cause problems with the eyes including cataracts and other eye damage. It can also affect the immune system and stop it from working properly.

Too much sun exposure can also cause problems with the texture of the skin. It can often become either thicker or thinner due to the radiation. Thicker skin generally appears with wrinkles, especially at the back of the neck. Thinner skin tends to create fine lines and it bruises a lot easier too.

The blood vessels are also affected by the sun and the walls of the vessels often become thinner. This usually leads to bruising and sometimes the appearance of tiny blood vessels can occur on the face.

Bumps in the skin may also appear, especially moles. These do have to be kept an eye on though as they could become cancerous. Lesions and other bumps can also make an appearance and again they need to be kept an eye on.

The Various Strengths of UV Radiation

The suns radiation is not always really strong. You can usually tell how high the levels are going to be on your local weather forecast. They are mainly given out during the summer months so that you know which strength sunscreen to buy, however they do sometimes give them out in cooler months too. The higher the radiations, the more chance of getting burnt you have, and the higher protection factor you will need.

Various things can affect the radiation levels and if there is snow on the ground for example, a lot of radiation bounces off the snow and it can go straight into the body. The cloud cover makes a difference too, as does the height of the sun. If the sun is really high in the sky the UV levels will also be really high.

Overall various factors affect the UV levels and you should always check to see which protection factor strength you will need. The sun’s radiation can really do our skin some damage so it is better to cover up than to grow old too quickly and develop various skin problems!

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Talented Jazz artist George Duke has released his latest CD on the Bizarre Planet Entertainment recording label, entitled Face The Music.

It’s a rare day indeed that I get a CD from an artist that I can truthfully say does not have a bad track in the bunch. I’m more than happy to announce that’s exactly what I must say about this one. There simply is NOT a bad one in the bunch. No fillers here at all, with each song standing tall on it’s own.

Face The Music is a pleasantly varied, mix of 10 tracks that are very well written songs by this clearly superb artist.

This is a first rate CD, delivering a little something for everyone. I give it two thumbs up. It’s quite simply great listening. A must buy for the Jazz fan.

My SmoothLee Bonus Pick, and the one that got Sore [...as in "Stuck On REpeat"] is track 4, Guess You’re Not The One. Outstanding!

Face The Music Release Notes:

George Duke originally released Face The Music on Sep 03, 2002 on the Bizarre Planet Entertainment label.

CD Track List Follows:

1. The Black Messiah (Part Two)
2. Chillin
3. My Piano
4. Guess You’re Not The One
5. Let’s Roll
6. Ain’t It Funky Now
7. Close To You
8. Another Way To Look At It
9. Creepin’
10. Ten Mile Jog

Personnel: George Duke (vocals, piano, Wurlitzer piano, Fender Rhodes piano, clavinet, mini Moog synthesizer, programming); Everette Harp (alto saxophone); Daniel Higgins, Kirk Whalum (tenor saxophone); Oscar Brashear (trumpet, flugelhorn); Isaac Smith (trombone); Jef Lee Johnson (acoustic & electric guitars); Christian McBride (upright , electric & fretless bass); Little John Roberts (drums. programming); Lenny Castro (percussion); Lori Perry, Kenya Hathaway, Mim Gillstrap, Wayne Holmes (background vocals).

Get the information you want on your favorite smooth jazz songs and artists at http://www.iLoveSmoothJazz.com

Clyde Lee Dennis, a.k.a. SmoothLee is a life long music fanatic, smooth jazz in particular, and does a daily online radio show featuring smooth jazz music that can be heard at http://www.DetroitSmoothJazz.com

We hear the warnings all the time, but just how much attention should we pay to them? Is the sun really that harmful, or is it just another thing to stop us from having a good time? Unfortunately the dangers of the sun on our skin are very real, and as much as we wish we could, it is impossible to go out into direct sunlight without protection and to not suffer any damage at all!

How the Sun Damages Our Skin

The reason why many people ignore the constant warnings is the fact that plenty of people go out in the sun unprotected all the time, and they think that nothing has happened to their skin. They get a tan and they really do not see what the problem is. Skin cancer is something which they think will never happen to them; however they really could not be further from the truth!

Every time you go out into the sun unprotected, you are putting your skin at risk - fact! This is because the suns rays are really damaging to the skin, and a tan is the result of burnt skin. Nobody really looks at a tan that way, they just think that a tan looks healthier, however it really is the result of damaged skin, and as nice as it looks, our skin really is not thanking us for it!

Sunblock lotion was created for a reason, and that was to protect the skin from any unnecessary burning. All sunscreen has a protection factor, and it is recommended that we use at least factor 18 when we go out into the sun, and more if you have fair skin and freckles. A good way to tell which factor sunscreen you will need is to check the daily weather forecasts. Usually they give a UV rating and basically the higher the rating, the higher protection level you will need.

The worst damage we can do to our skin is skin cancer. Staying unprotected in the sun for even half an hour can help to cause skin cancer. It can happen to absolutely everybody, though darker skins have a less likely chance of developing it. The way to tell if you have skin cancer is to look for any unusual moles or changes in existing ones. You should also look out for sores which will not heal on the skin. Sunbeds can also cause skin cancer, though it is a lot rarer.

The final way the sun can damage the skin, is by prematurely aging it. It does this by creating free radicals within the body. The free radicals often cause wrinkles; hence skin which has been exposed to the sun will age a lot quicker than it usually would. Sun spots also often occur in exposed skin.

The sun can also cause our skin to become thicker or thinner in some circumstances, changing the texture of the skin completely. Overall, unprotected skin does not stand much of a chance against the sun, so it is always better to cover up!

How to Stay Safe

The best way to stay safe is to wear sunscreen or to simply cover up completely. However, in such warm temperatures it is often impossible to cover up completely, so sunscreen is always the best option.

Remember that you should reapply the sunscreen after swimming in the sea or pool, and it does need topping up every so often too. Always ensure that you have the right level of protection. As mentioned earlier, it is recommended that you use at least factor 18, though if you have fair skin and freckles, you should use a higher level one just to be safe!

It is still possible to get a tan with sunscreen; it simply stops you from burning that is all. However, if you are not particularly bothered about a sun tan, sun block may be your best protection. It is more protective than sunscreen, but it does not let you get a tan.

Overall, it is better to be safe than sorry so always make sure you wear either sunscreen or sun block!

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Introduction

I was interviewed recently by someone writing a book on expatriate businessmen. One topic that came up when I was sharing business experiences with her, was the topic of business thinking. What goes on through the thoughts of a business person, that makes him different from any other run-of-the-mill employee?

My buddy Joe and I share the same belief regarding this - a successful businessman is driven by passion. Pure passion for what he does drives him on, making him sleep 4-6 hours a day, eating and drinking and sleeping his life away for the passion in his life. That is something most employees cannot achieve. In fact, if you get such entreprenuerial employees, you have better make sure you love him and treat him well before the competition gets him!

Unlike Joe, however, I believe a successful businessman can be driven by two types of passion.

Intrinsic Passion

The first is an intrinsic passion in the business - an educator who runs his series of schools, a technical person marketing his inventions, or a hedge fund manager running his clients’ money and growing them in the financial markets. Making money (while important) is secondary to growing his business. The best thing to ever happen to his company is for it to become a world leader in its field. Anything that might hint at him losing control of his company is scary.

I suspect many founders of tech, biotech and education companies fall into this category. Inventors tend to belong here.

Extrinsic Passion

The second has a passion for the financial rewards of business. This is truly the pure businessman - willing to dip his hands into anything, to try anything, if the financial rewards are well worth the capital risk. He is constantly on the the lookout for more business opportunities, and closes in on them quickly the moment he senses blood (uh…cash). To him, making money is the most important reason for business, and IPOs are the best thing to ever happen to his company (easier to cash out).

People like Robert Kiyosaki, author of Rich Dad, Poor Dad, has some of such thinkings behind him in his many investments (but his educational company is part of his intrinsic passion).

Conclusion

I suspect I’m the first rather than the second - I know my passions are in education and in finance. I intend to focus my business thoughts of the future upon the financial markets, and upon education as well. These twin foci will drive my business plans for the future.

So, readers - what is yours? Think through it carefully - for it will drive the way you run your business, and follow up on your entreprenuerial instincts! It’s your life and money you are dealing with!

Michael Chan used to be a teacher, before he left to run a managed fund. When his business failed, he returned to teaching, and is currently a Department Head at the Shanghai Singapore International School.

He constantly applies his business acumen to his job, to add value to his employer. His thoughts on K-12 education and on financial education can be found in his blog at http://www.senseimichael.com

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“My AE knows nuts. He’s no more than a coordinator with a big sounding name.”

This is another common complain heard from the client side as well as the Account Executive’s own agency - especially from his creative department. I can empathize with the client who believe that the AE should be responsible, at least partially, to help generate awareness and sales, but I can also fully relate to the poor guy who is totally bewildered and clueless of his role and responsibilities (the AE, of course).

The AE is the liaison between his marketing/advertising agency and his agency’s client. And within his own agency, he’s got to work closely with creative, art, studio, production, media and more departments to get his projects done. In some way, he is the beef patty in a hamburger, being squeezed from both sides. And he has to manage them all; making sure both sides are happy, i.e., deliver a great campaign for his client and profits to his agency.

Many small marketing/advertising agencies choose to hire someone fresh from school or with just 2-3 years’ experience in marketing or sales and leave them to fend for themselves. This is a mistake. Without proper guidance, this rookie AE will likely end up writing tons of contact reports to his clients, and parroting his client’s wish list to his agency. That would certainly irk them all. Why? Because one expects him to be his extended marketing arm, while the other requires him to bring in a sufficiently complete brief to kick start a brainstorm/creative session.

While seemingly simple, the job of the AE is a complex web of communications, street smarts, market knowledge and a mixture of skills that would make a normal “sales man” swoon in confusion!

What does it take to be a successful AE? Generally, he would have to be:

Knowledgeable - Good grasp of marketing communications, marketing and sales concepts. Without these, he can’t help to sell anything!

Business savvy - In-depth understanding of the client’s business, the marketplace and his client’s clients.

Analytical and Insightful - Analyze the client’s Agency Brief (Check this out in my article ” Is Your Marketing/Advertising Agency Really That Lousy?”, also published with ezinearticles.), ask intelligent questions, all these information plus own insights to write a Creative Brief for his agency. The creative brief - like the client’s agency brief - could make or break a project.

Good interpersonal skills - Extremely useful in getting things done within the agency where almost all projects are important or urgent. This is also of paramount importance in escalating the client-agency relationship to new heights.

AE’s job is no mean feat and may not suit everyone. But for those who enjoy and flourish as AE, good for them. I know for sure they would cherish every moment of success and were wiser from every knocks and falls.

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Vivienne Quek is a seasoned veteran in the advertising industry. She has worked in small local outfits to large international marketing/advertising agencies servicing multi-million dollar accounts. Today, she runs two marketing agencies providing a wide range of marketing and communications services

Vivienne continues to play an active role in her agencies and blogs to share her experiences with everyone at http://www.versacreations.net

To continue to benefit from her shared experience, VISIT HER BLOG

Building birdhouses is an excellent hobby that combines your ornithological interests with your skills in woodcrafts. You can make wooden birdhouses that help many different species of wild and domestic birds to nest and breed.

Many birdhouses are wooden but some are a mixture of wood and concrete.

Most birdhouses are cuboids with a sloping roof. Some have a special hinged top to make it easier to clean them when the occupants fly away. Some breeders also find those openings convenient to feed the young ones.

Boxes with open fronts or a hole at the front are very popular. Often, bird lovers create fancy birdhouses, some of them even resembling a human house or multi-storey apartments.

You can make birdhouses with gourds. Milk cartons are a simple and recyclable object that you could use for building your birdhouse. Some bird-watchers love to design highly detailed birdhouses and they make them from of the best possible materials.

It’s up to you. You’re the builder of this birdhouse!

Building Your Ideal Birdhouse

A Birdhouse needs to provide sufficient opening and ventilation for to give the birds’ easy access while keeping them protected from predators and also providing you adequate access to clean after the young birds leave.

Sometimes, bird-watchers and breeders monitor movements of the birds they house. They need suitable openings to observe the birds in their house. The interior dimensions should also allow easy movements for the birds.

Birds vary greatly in sizes and the house(s) that you build should fit the needs of the type of birds you want to attract and help.

Wood is the best material for making birdhouses. The best types of wood are redwood and rough-cut cedar, which do not deteriorate when exposed to sun and rain.

The natural insulating properties of wood are far superior to other materials like metal and plastic that overheats and makes it stifling hot for the birds.

Many builders use pressure-treated lumber, but this is not very safe. The copper-arsenate chemical that is routinely applied to it could be toxic to the birds if not properly applied.

Your birdhouses should blend with the surrounding habitat to make the birds feel at home. You may mount the birdhouses on fence posts, tall trees or on poles that were specifically set up for the purpose. Whatever type of birdhouse you choose, you must provide adequate protection from predators. Sheet metal and aluminum plates can help to keep predators away from your birdhouse.

Although most birds nest in cavities in rock or trees in their natural habitats, they also love to nest in birdhouses. Birds that will use birdhouses include Buffleheads, American Kestrels, Common Barn Owls, Wood Ducks, Northern Saw-whet Owls, Eastern and Western Screech Owls, Northern Flickers, Red-headed Woodpeckers, Barred Owls, Red-bellied Woodpeckers, Golden-fronted Woodpeckers, Purple Martins, House Sparrows, Bluebirds, Red-breasted Nuthatches, Mountain Chickadees, Black-capped Chickadees, Oat Titmice, House Wrens, Great Crested Flycatchers and many others.

You can build a birdhouse even within a limited space. You can build a birdhouse in a garage or shop, too.

Birdhouse building is a truly fun and rewarding hobby, a great class project for schools and can be done by anyone if you know where to start. Check out the book Build Your Own Birdhouse for more details http://www.MakeItYourSelf.biz/Build-A-Birdhouse

Josh David is an internet businessman who has made his living by providing quality assured products and services to internet buyers. Hi latest venture - OpenEbook.biz - provides a Free validation service to ebook resellers ensuring quality, service and value for money to customers and increased network opportunities to sellers.http://www.MakeItYourSelf.biz/Build-A-Birdhouse

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Hip hop is one of the musical genres that is probably the most listened to among today s youths. It is, however, one of the most misunderstood and discriminated against by politicians and comfortable middle classes adults.

Hip hop has yet to be rediscovered as a whole- I mean the culture and the music altogether. In our world of modern technology, hip hop indeed lacks intellectual commentary, which would certainly help to do away with some usual misconceptions about it.

Some people do think that hip hop is only about big money, big jewels, hoes and big cars. Some teenagers think they are hip hop because they dress hip hop and because they listen to mainstream rappers.
Some politicians are convinced that rap music leads our youths to violence and drugs.

Wrong! Only misinterpretations of the true message hip hop actually conveys will lead to violence related behaviors. I have observed young suburban people in front of their houses who think they are cool gangstas because they are smoking one joints or two, wearing a hoodie, listening to the latest 50 Cent hit and carrying a knife. The same guys will enjoy spitting at the neighbor s gate and scaring one or two 70 year old grannies.

That’s not being gangsta, young people. That’s being naughty.

Let me ask you one question, guys: what do you know about ghetto life? Probably very few things. If you actually knew how it looks like to live in a ghetto, you wouldn’t be keen on imitating a lifestyle just to fit into a culture that definitely isn’t your heritage.

It is actually hard to live in the ghetto. I know what I am talking about: I have lived there for years, struggling as a single mom to raise my kids in a very hostile and dirty environment. The ghetto is a place that teaches you about life. I have dealt with realities some of you could barely ever swallow, not even in your dreams. I am not talking that way to raise your pity, I want you to understand that living in the gutter far from being a fairy tale.

The ghetto is a place most people are trying to leave, it is not a pleasant place to stay. The most realistic description of the ghetto as a whole is Grandmaster Flash s. Broken glass everywhere, piss on the floor, living on the edge…welcome to the jungle.

When you can and whatever your assets are ( talent, diplomas, cleverness, dirty deals…), you are trying to elevate yourself in order to escape from this no man s land.

The ghetto is a place that will require from you to have character and to be ready to face the worst. Closer to hell than to heaven, the ghetto s rough environment will shape you and teach you some hard life lessons.

How many people have dealt there with loads of unpleasant situations, trying to make the best out of their circumstances?

How many courageous women have struggled all alone, endorsing a man and a woman s role, keeping their heads up, for their kids sake?

How many kids have grown, left on their own, dealing with irresponsible parents, facing dangers and developing, day after day, the will to succeed, despite all?

How many people have seen their world turn into a nightmare within a few minutes over there?

How many people have watched their homies take bullets and die in front of their eyes?

As Detroit emcee Supa Emcee says, it s hard in the heart of the streets. Most people aren t outlaws by choice, but by necessity. Drug deals, hustle, robberies happen because many people are left with no other choice. It is truly a matter of survival.

The American government in particular will always try to censor emcees voices, because they point their fingers at the scars the same government left among the poorest classes of society.

Ice Cube s hit, Why We Thugs, explains the vicious system that was created by men who now claim to protect average citizens from a violent society that originated from their own policies.

Let s go down to the very heart of the streets, in which real emcees rap about real problems. It will remind you of the birth of hip hop. Hip hop was born in a state of perpetual emergency, in the Bronx. A bunch of people who knew how to handle a mic and instrumentals, put their flow in action and used it as an outlet for their rage.

A rage that offered the most realistic social commentary and strong political analysis of America s ghettos. A creative rage that was transformed into an abundant and rhythmic torrent of flooding words.

A rage that expressed the pain of racial and ethnic minorities.

The very heart of the hip hop spirit has much more to do with expressing people s pain than with making money, even though hip hop is a useful tool for skilled emcees to reach fame and fortune.

I want gangsta rappers to keep telling people about what is going on in the ghettos. I want them to describe the crude and awful reality like it is. It want them to keep pleasing our ears with high quality rhymes. I want the voice of the underprivileged to be heard and understood.

Many mainstream rappers need to realize that they are actually spoiling good and insightful hip hop in favor of a distasteful, superficial, bad quality hip hop. They are thus influencing a specific category of suburban teenagers to behave badly, making them believe that it is cool to be a drug addict or a violent thug. This is not what hip hop is about.

Hip hop is the mirror of the streets. It is the voice of the people who live and struggle in an horrific jungle of hatred, poverty and racial discrimination. It is probably the key to stopping racism and inequality, because of the strength of its message all over the years.

It will probably remain a fiction to many comfortable people who are unable to relate to the culture, though.

No matter how much people want to shut down the messenger, hip hop s message won t be overheard.

Not only do many emcees have something consistent to say, rap music is also about blessing a mic with some inventive rhymes, a tornado alike flow delivery totally matching with some good, rhythmic beats. In short, a real expression of talent.

Dig a little deeper and you will discover diamonds in the dirt of the depressing ghetto landscape, like its unique gem: quality rap music straight from the streets.

My name is Isabelle Esling. I am a freelance music journalist and an Eminem biographer. I do teach English and German at public schools.

Copyright© 2007 by Isabelle Esling
All Rights Reserved