Seems like for a while there nearly every car in the U.S. had a “United We Stand” bumper sticker. These stickers imply that our standing united was our only salvation. When we don’t stand united, what happens? Of course, we fall divided.

Is this really true? If we buy into the idea at the core of the current political agenda (standing united, defeating terrorists, spreading democracy) will we all be just fine? Or in doing this do we blindly agree with an entire world of presuppositions?

With scapegoating, the best way to get us all on board-to unite-is to have a common enemy, a boogie man, a Satan, Saddam Hussein or a terrorist to rage against.

Christianity uses scapegoating: Satan. The government uses scapegoating: 1950’s = Commies; 2000’s = Terrorists. Most recently we have Scooter Libby. (Though the distinction has been made that he’s more of a “fall guy” than a “scapegoat” because scapegoat implies using an innocent to pin the blame on while fall guy’s usually share the blame.)

It was popular in Massachusetts during the Salem Witch Trials. By diverting attention away from the state and church as the cause for difficulties in people’s lives, witches (read: women) were burned at the stake as the core cause of societies ills.

In religion Adam blamed Eve who blamed the serpent for tantalizing her with the apple. Baptists blame the Mormons who blame the Baptists for leading people astray. Christians have an all purpose scapegoat responsible for all manner of sin and degradation, misery and war. . .Satan. The concept of Satan has single-handedly maintained Christianity throughout the years.

I want to stress here that I am not debating the existence of Satan. I have no intention or interest in converting or recruiting anybody to my spiritual, religious or political beliefs. I am simply showing how scapegoating can and has been used over the years.

There are multiple layers of scapegoating at play currently in politics. Focusing on gay marriage and stem cell research as scapegoats diverts attention from the body count in Iraq.

We saw scapegoating rise to the status of national phenomenon during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. It even got a new name: The Blame Game. The mayor blamed the governor and the president. The governor blamed the president and the mayor. The president congratulated his FEMA appointee and suggested things were going swell until he realized no one was buying it and then proceeded to blame the governor and the mayor. Some folks in the government even suggested that no one was to blame, it was a natural disaster.

People ultimately want to believe that their problems or failures are the result of something outside themselves.

In sales and business scapegoating can be used to suggest your new client or prospect’s former adviser (or agent), lacked knowledge and gave terrible advice and is responsible for preventing the client from earning what they should have earned.

To use this ethically, instead of making the scapegoat a person or group, make it an opposing force such as an idea, philosophy or an unfortunate circumstance.

Married men live longer than unmarried men, it is a fact that has been reported over and over again from various studies. Women seem to be able to tell when their husband needs to see a Dr before he knows himself and they make sure he eats sensibly and generally looks after himself.

As we enter into tough financial times in our present economy the pressures that we all face on a regular basis due to financial problems which occur in every family from time to time will increase. America is currently seeing the highest amount of foreclosures since records started being kept and this along with fears of job downsizing causes worry and stress to the best of us.

The TV news is full of reports of foreclosures, lower wages and job cuts that are happening all over the USA. These reports cause me some anxiety and I know that my house is safe and so is my job. If you know that your family is under some additional financial pressure and your partner has a history of anxiety then you must pay even more close attention to them than ever before.

Anxiety attacks can lay in wait for you for years, coming to the fore when you are suddenly put under some sort of extra ordinary pressure. If you are facing a job lay of or are experiencing financial problems then there is a good chance that you could start to experience feelings of anxiety and panic.

During times of stress it can be difficult to work out what is normal behavior and what are the warning signs of a impending anxiety attack. If you notice your spouse showing signs of nausea, shaking and actively avoiding situations that they would previously have been happy to go to then it is time to discuss this with them and make an appointment to see a medical professional.

Suffering from anxiety is nothing to be ashamed of and you should speak to your partner about it as soon as you start seeing symptoms. As a couple you can discuss the stress that may be triggering the anxiety attacks. Do not fall into the blame game, it is very easy in times of financial stress to try and blame someone and that is usually the person nearest to you.

Anxiety attacks can be totally debilitating, they can also ruin the life of not just the person who suffers with them but their spouse as well. Since anxiety affects both of you to some degree, you should both be willing to go and discuss it with experts. You are not the first couple to be in this situation so don’t worry about being embarrassed.

Financial problems can put you through some very scary times and they can be a major contributing factor to causing anxiety and panic attacks as well as other forms of mental illness. We advise people to go see a Dr or medical professional for their anxiety but it is also worth asking if the Dr knows of any volunteer groups that have financial experts who can offer you advice as well. Your marriage is worth saving, make the effort to get help for all your problems.

As an real estate investor, you should always be on the lookout for real estate investing probabilities. Every once in awhile, these opportunities might come your way certainly, but for the most part, you must look for them. There is much more to property investing advantages than a reduced purchase price. Too many times have investors made this assumption only to find the hard way that an easy purchase is not always an easy sale. Knowing some tips to recognize foreclosure investing opportunities will help make your investing much easier.

Property worth is one of the first ways of realizing real estate investing options. You don’t have to hire an appraiser or a realtor to assist you in figuring out the worth of a real estate property. You can use some of the same techniques these professional use to determine property value. Look up the price of similar properties that have recently sold. Between three and five properties will give you a good idea of the property value.

Once you have determined the property value, the next indicator of foreclosure investing options is the amount of repairs the property needs. It doesn’t matter if you can purchase a property for a penny. If it costs need in repairs and similar properties in good condition have sold for $40,000, then it should not be deemed as one of your foreclosure investing opportunities.

You can find out the repairs that are needed in one of two ways. The first way is to ask the seller what repairs are needed. Some sellers will be completely honest, some will not. The second way is to use a bonded contractor. You can get referrals for contractors from other investors or respected realtors.

The amount you can purchase a property for is perhaps the second virtually important factor in capitalizing on real estate investing advantages. The lower you can purchase the property for, the better an opportunity it is. In general, the foremost foreclosure investing advantages are those which you can purchase a home for 20% or more below market value. If you can negotiate even lower, that’s better.

At this point you can use an appraiser to tell you the value of the property. Any repairs should be made before the appraiser reviews the home. The object is to have the values as high as possible to help you set your selling price. The selling price, relative to the purchase price, is the most important factor you can use to recognize real estate investing advantages. The higher you can sell the property for, the better an opportunity it is.

There is a fair amount of work required in recognizing property investing opportunities. The first time you go through the process, it might be complex and take what seems like a long time. As you get more experience you will learn to recognize an opportunity much certainly and in a shorter amount of time. This, of course, will come with experience. You might make a few mistakes in the beginning, but these mistakes bring knowledge that will only make you better at picking out property investing probabilities.

It is a tough market out there if you are a seller. Distressed properties. Empty developments. Foreclosures. There is a lot of inventory on the market for buyers to pick over, but you can still move your condo if you follow these steps.

Letting people know you are selling is obviously improtant. This means signs. In a condo development, this can actually be a problem. Most associations don’t allow you to post signs in the common areas or your outer walls.

So, what can you do? One option that usually works is to put the for sale sign in a window where it can be seen. Few people complain about these, so it might just do the trick for you. Even if the complain, it will take some time to send you a warning.

If we are discussing condos, we also have to discuss restrictions. All condo developments have them. Make things easy for potential buyers. Provide copies of all relevant documents for their review or even to take with them.

If you’ve been to more than one condominium development, you’ve spend time getting lost. This is a good way to turn off potential buyers. Avoid it by giving clear directions and a map to people coming by for open houses and so on.

Here is a neat little tip that costs you nothing, but can make a sale happen. For some reason, codominiums are famous for being poorly lit. You are probably use to it, but buyers are not. Crank up all the lights. The light will make it look bigger to.

Unlike individual homes, condo developments often have universal problems such as a leak roof or something. This leads to litigation that forces the developer to come back and fix the problem. If you’ve experienced this, let buyers know.

Most condo owners fail to fully promote their units to potential buyers. They focus only on the unit. In a condo community, you have much more. Make sure to walk potential buyers through other areas such as the pool, tennis courts and so on.

In this market, helping your buyer finance the purchase can make all the difference in the world. Buyers with even great credit are having problem getting money. Offer to carry back part of the purchase price as a second loan. It might just do the trick.

These days, you might be surprised to learn selling a condo might be easier than doing the same with a home. Why? Well, there is less money involved and money is tight in the current market. Now get out there and sell yours!

It was July 16, 1954. I was just washed from exiting my mom’s womb. “Congratulations, Ms. London,” I used to joke that the OB/GYN told my mom, “It’s a Realtor”. My parents owned a very old real estate stable family real estate company and were from a generation where, if and when an offspring arrived, especially a male, they were born to be bred shaped and molded into that genetically-inherited business. I tried it a few years. It was disastrous.

In my younger days, I was not aware of southern protocol and traditional family values, and, as I became more aware of my environment around me, I was certain I wanted to have something to do with humor as I grew older. How did I know this? I became a Realtor, and an unhappy and bad one at that.

I can remember being grounded, in trouble, about to get in trouble, or locked in my room with no going out with friends for some wrong-doing (never violent or terrible); just pulling pranks since I was very small.

Only a few times were my parents seemed joyful and smiling and not “on my case” and that is when they had weekend parties and were playing record albums by such comedy greats as Don Rickles, Tom Lehrer, Jack Benny, and the like. I introduced them to The Smothers Brothers as a teen, thinking I would earn brownie points but again given the pink slip for “leaning too far left”….whatever that meant.

Stand-up in New York City. Keep in mind this was straight off the farm from Mississippi to the Big Apple. I won’t “even go there” as to how awful I was. It was sort of like Dan Quayle in his memorable v.p. debate, but more like me debating, say, Steve Martin and my comparing myself to Lenny Bruce. Steve to me: “Mr. London, Lenny Bruce was a friend of mine, and you, sir, are no Lenny Bruce.” I won’t bore you with the gory details.

Around 1996 or so I became interested in humor writing, and was planning a book but decided on forming a group of artists and creating a cartoon instead. All of us were surprised when Londons Times Cartoons shot to the top of the Internet rating charts.

By the time I reached 50, after a lengthy illness, I decided to start opening stores, selling products with my cartoon images which now amount to over 8500 in number and our counter shows over 8 million visitors since 2005 (though we started in 1997). And to imagine a manufacturer is producing 85,000 of our licensed gifts and collectibles and selling them everywhere from our main superstore site to Ebay to Shop.com. It’s all like a dream. If it can happen to this would-be Realtor, it can happen to any misfit.

Creating a cartoon is not an easy task, but an interesting and educational one. No matter what branch of humor in which one may find their niche, it is a growth experience, sometimes painful, sometimes exhilirating, more often painful, to be honest, not to mention humbling.

If it is in your blood, you will know it, and no matter what you were “born to be”, will not matter. It will have to come out in some way, shape, or form. Educate yourself, hang out with others who have blazed the trail, learn all you can.and just do it.

It is an exciting thought to be able to make a significant income by marketing someone else’s products. No product creation, often no inventory, no customer service. And with the internet, it seems so easy. Just get a link and put it in front of people. Most affiliate marketers are finding that in reality, it requires a lot more work to make anything significant.

Consider this. It is estimated that over 1 million new webpages are added to the internet every day! If you are going to make any real income as an affiliate marketer, you need to have some skills that will get your website noticed amidst all the billions and billions of webpages out there.

No doubt the affiliate marketing model has proven itself. There are certainly profits being made by merchants. By getting affiliates to market his products and services, he is saving himself time, effort and money in looking for possible markets and customers. But affiliates and affiliate solution providers and affiliate network companies like Commission Junction are also cashing in. So there is certainly money being made. Now how do we get more of that into your pocket?

If you want to be a successful affiliate marketer, try these 3 simple steps. First is to identify a particular thing you are interested in or passionate about so you won’t be bored and forced to develop your affiliate web site later on. Focusing on a specific area you know very well will help you bring out your best without much effort. You can add a personal touch to your site and give your visitors who are possible buyers an impression that you are an expert in your field. In this way, you gain their trust and eventually encourage them to buy the products you endorse.

Second, once you have a idea of what type of products and services you are interested in, look for merchants that have those items. Look for products that have good conversion rates. Sites like Commission Junction will show you this information. This information will help you pick products in your area of interest that have the best income potential.

Now that you have decided where to concentrate, have chosen the products to endorse and the merchant you are supporting and have created your own web site with top level domain name and reliable hosting, you are ready to promote. This is a crucial task, since it is through this that you would be able to increase traffic to the business website, sales and of course, profit. In affiliate marketing, it is possible to earn large sums of money in a short span of time especially when you’re endorsing high-priced items.

If you take these 3 simple steps, you will be way ahead of the vast majority of affiliate marketers. Your website will grow into a valuable piece of internet real estate. The next task to tackle is to get more people to your site to see what you have to offer. That is a topic that requires its own article, but consider submitting articles to directories on a regular schedule as one of your first traffic building activities.

These 3 steps are simple, but real profits will take persistent efforts, creative thinking and flexibility. Even as you sleep, you can work your way to great financial success if you employ the right strategies in affiliate marketing. Be creative, be smart and surely, you’ll achieve your goals. You will have to stay up to date on the latest online marketing methods as you continue to add useful content to your site and work to get yourself noticed by driving more traffic to your articles.