Monday, November 7, 2011

Of boys and the rivers they must travel.

By Dr. Jeffrey Lant

Author's program note. If you were a real boy, like my father and like me, you never saw a river you did not want to know better. But it had to be a river... a thing of shimmering possibilities, always moving, always beckoning, never the same, not even for an instant.

This thing called to you, and sleep was always difficult when you were near a river traversed by people from far away places, who went where they liked, when they liked and had real lives like you could only imagine. And you did imagine, early and late... until the chance arrived for you to do more than imagine... to have instead the chance to see for yourself. For that is what you always wanted... and now that you are grown... you want it still, don't you? For when the river has seized your brain (as every river aims to do)... the river owns you for life... and you can never see one, a proper river mind, that does not, siren-like and luring, call you to come see what you know so well you have missed for so long. For this article, I might have selected as incidental music Jerome Kern's iconic tune "Old Man River" from the 1929 film "Showboat." But that tune is too dark and challenging for my purpose... and while Paul Robson's rendition is brilliant, it forces you to dig deep and think about things you might not want to think about just then.... for dreaming is what you want to do on the river... a very different thing from cogitation and ponderation.

Instead, I chose a song of the late nineteenth century, "Polly Wolly Doodle", first published at Harvard, my own alma mater, right across the street from where I am writing now. It appeared in a Harvard student songbook in 1880. It's a bouncy tune (what else would Shirley Temple have sung in her 1935 film "The Littlest Rebel"?); the kind of organized nonsense a boy would sing with the unabashed glee of unburdened mind, thrilled as he was to be on the river and away from mom who made him wipe his feet and wash his hands before dinner. You didn't know what a "polly wolly doodle" was, but you knew you would like it... You'll find the words and lyrics in any search engine. Go ahead, sing it. It'll lift your spirits and put you in just the right mood... the river mood.

Any river, not merely some river, no matter how great.

This is a tale about rivers, all rivers, not just some river, no matter how renowned, celebrated, powerful and captivating. This may rile the spirit of "Old Man River," the Mississippi, the greatest river on earth, but, with bold temerity, I remind this river's spirit that it is so great because all the rivers of this great continent pay it the full tribute of their every drop. And so this, while always being homage to you, is also tribute to all who share your sinuous attributes...

River folks

The Marshalls and all their branches, for all they were kin to statesmen as great and as different as Chief Justice Marshall of undying Supreme Court fame and a much later General of the Army and saviour of Europe George C. Marshall, had the itch to go West. And so, in due course, they came to see the great Mississippi flow from the vantage point of Stronghurst, Illinois, a piddling river town which even today can call hardly a thousand souls its own. But because of the river, which could take them anywhere, they put down deep roots in a town from nowhere. And that river, its people and its cultures, bit deep.

My grandfather Harvey Lant, who died when I was young, must have felt that bite for he took his only son over ta' Burlington, 'cross the river, ta' where the great river queens held raucous court. It was because such royalty (especially the cassino boats and the showboats) were gaudy, meretricious, of salacious intent and always deep in the ways of river trickery and hoodwinkery that the real ladies, the God-fearing, church-social ladies, the stalwarts of our lives, never went with their menfolk when they had determined, as my ordinarily mild grandfather now had, to see the great river and its ways close at hand. The queens and the ladies did not know each other.

Grampa had invited his nephew Richard, my father's cousin, to be a part of this strictly male, and as it happened unique event. The boy was anxious to go, would go, but as my father recalls, the youthful disdain and contempt abiding after 7 decades and more, he was "mollycoddled" by his stern mama Grace.... a woman of iron habits and high degrees of strictness, strictures, scriptures who made sure he would not go. My father, just 8 himself, recalls to this day the rue in that little pinched face as Richard was left behind and they set off.... Years later, when he was a wealthy man, this cousin confessed he remained deeply regretful, for the river had eaten in to him, too, at least a bit. Still... "Had he really wanted to go..." But with the mollycoddled, you could never tell....

And so this became because of one woman's worrying nature, a once-in-a-lifetime journey where one discovers along the way one's father... his values... and, the most important thing of all, his love for you...

Burlington, Iowa, now boarding for all the destinations on earth.

Even today when only the vestiges of Burlington's high-flying past remain, it is still possible to see this city as it wants to be seen... as a place of international demeanor and outlook, a place to connect anyone to anywhere he wants to go; not some hick town in the corn belt, but a grand destination, entirely familiar with gourmet foods (fresh local, too), the best wines of epoch vintages, high stepping musicales and painted ladies no better than they should be. This was possible because of the river and only because of the river. And grandfather thought my father should see it.. and I admire him the more for the thought, for perhaps he left behind a smoldering spouse, who would well and surely give him her unvarnished opinion later... in dinners a little overcooked... in favorite foods suddenly unavailable.. in linens changed less frequently and sour towels left a day too long ... in dark glances and meaningful asides... all this and more primordial evidences of unmistakable distaff disapproval, unanswerable, yet deeply felt and always clearly understood.

But that was later...

Now, in the midst of Depression ravaged Illinois, with the land stalked by fears of every kind, they were en route to the Burlington Iowa bridge where you could see the river, broader here, and the fleet that would sail in your mind's eye for your whole life. And it was all happening in a place called Burlington, named after one of England's most stylish milords, a place that launched steamboats of beauty and renown.... and the railroad grandchildren Jeffrey and Kevin would take to the zoo in Hollywood, Illinois. But that was years from now, and unimagined.

What was the name of the ship? The odds were it would be queen of..., belle of..., then one of the grand river ports whose names resonate... St. Louis, Cincinnati, Natchez, New Orleans... he thought it might have been the Delta Queen, and I hope it was; though my research showed that she was in Stockton, California those years. That was the ship presidents selected for a little cruise... and always the pictures for Life magazine.. Truman, Carter and Hoover did it... but Hoover did it later when the nation hated him less for doing so little when so much was required.

One day down to Cairo, one day back up.

You can imagine the joy of this boy, the only son, so lucky so little touched -- yet -- by the economic maelstrom ... Here's a hunch why his father was so insistent about going now. Like millions of fathers across the land, Harvey followed the dismal news and in this year of grace 1932, there was more to fear than fear itself. And so he decided that his son should have this treat before his ability to bestow such a gift was submerged by events. And so there was a great urgency about the matter...

Thus, from the Texas deck of a great queen, threatened like everything but majestic now, lightly passengered, theirs to enjoy, they followed the route of Huck and Jim to Cairo (Kay-Row), which made locals chuckle when the out-of-towners said Ki-Row, llinois...

Huck missed the turn to the Ohio River... and thus sent them into the Deep South, living hell for Jim as a runaway slave. This day the captain did not err; I doubt they would have minded if he had, and so they went to Cairo, a place of dark beauty and diabolic secrets.. My father remembers nothing of that but recalls his father holding his hand as they moved along the swift Ohio... and the look in his eyes that day... a look he did not understand until he had an 8 year old of his own...

**** Your response to this article is requested. What do you think?
Let us know by posting your comments below.

About the Author

Harvard-educated Dr. Jeffrey Lant is CEO of Worldprofit, Inc., providing a wide range of online services for small and-home based businesses. Dr. Jeffrey Lant is also the author of 18 best-selling business books. Republished with author's permission by Ronda Dollard http://DoubleYourProfitsNow.com. Check out Fast Cash Commissions -> http://rd00017.fastcashme.hop.clickbank.net

Monday, March 7, 2011

Quick SEO Strategies That WORK!

Are you tired of experimenting with the strategies and 'secret formulas' handed out willy-nilly by the SEO gurus? While they may work for some, finding a usable and cost effective strategy is more complex that simply brute-forcing your website to the top of the search engine rankings. In addition to this, many of the super effective courses offered at high prices put your rankings at risk by forcing you into poor positions and making you use deceptive and unethical techniques to climb to the top.
Don't fall victim to these SEO hustles. SEO isn't something that you need the guidance of a guru to excel in. By applying some simple principles and innovative strategies, you can make sure that your SEO efforts aren't in vain, and are producing measurable and noticeable results for you. SEO isn't just about producing a small return on your time input, it's about creating the DNA and marketing muscle that gets you noticed, creates massive sales successes, and puts you on the map next to the big players.
Google is possibly the greatest equalizer of our times. With small new operators ranking alongside corporate giants, the whole nature of internet commerce has changes. Twenty years ago you needed hundreds of thousands, possibly even millions of dollars to create a large scale marketing campaign and master the airwaves. Now you can beat even the richest and most bloated corporate giant with a simple SEO strategy that innovates where others haven't, and works where others have failed.
The greatest thing about SEO is that it isn't something that's bound by cost. By applying effort and innovation in place of million dollar marketing muscle and dumb money, you can multiply your efforts, produce a massive return on investment, and build a massively lucrative online business.
These techniques aren't limited to the gurus and the OCD mega-marketers. They're available to you and me, just as they should be. However, you need to apply yourself in order to get the most from them. SEO mega-returns won't just fall into your lap -- they require a great strategy and some perfect execution. Thankfully, you can use the strategies in this free report to make sure that you craft a great SEO strategy.
<a href="http://cbpirate.com/s/cashsniper/RondaDollard%22%3EClick Here To Download Your Free #1 Google Ranking Report</a>
The money is out there, the customers are waiting, and the competition is fierce. Where are you? Get your business out there at the top of the searches and watch the money come rolling in. By using the simple strategies and innovative advice laid out in this free report, you can master the search engines, supercharge your online income, and slide your websites into the spotlight.
<a href="http://cbpirate.com/s/cashsniper/RondaDollard%22%3EClick Here To Download Your Free #1 Google Ranking Report</a>

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

PLR Wholesaler - A Wealth of FREE Information and Resources for Affiliates!

Most systems that are offered on the internet today for affiliates to sign up for are cloaked in secrecy and make them pay from seventy to one hundred fifty dollars to access the system. They also often ask affiliates to pay a monthly fee in order to continue using the services that are being offered through the site. PLR Wholesaler is different. Instead of making affiliates pay first and then get their money back later if they are not happy with the system, the PLR Wholesaler offers a wealth of information and resources to affiliates to help them build their businesses before asking for a cent.

Plus, affiliates can use this constantly updated information for free as long as they like, as the membership is a lifetime membership where they will never have to pay a cent. They can access hundreds of videos, e-books, thousands of articles, and many more informational resources. They can also access software that will help them manage their campaigns and can use templates for headers, mini-sites, and more all from this one free system. All affiliates have to do is enter their email address and name, and then choose a username and password and they are ready to go with the system. Once in, they can use all of the resources and never have to pay a cent.

Click Here To Download Your Free Affiliate Resources Report


However, if they are looking for even more information and resources than they are given in PLR Wholesaler's free version of the site, they can also choose to buy a premium membership which gives them even more information at their fingertips. There are more videos, software systems and templates that they can use as well as lists of niches that they can access along with tips on methods that work in those specialized niches. Join now before the time expires at:

Click Here To Download Your Free Affiliate Resources Report

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

A Risk Free Way to Live the Life You Have Dreamed Of

Making changes in your life, especially your job involves taking a risk. At least, that is what we have all been told. And with debts, family obligations and the rest, it is, for most of us, a risk that is just not worth taking. But suppose there is a way you can try out something new without taking any risk at all? And not just something new but a business that has been proven to be able to earn you an income of thousands of dollars a day? Its not a pipe dream. It's the Forex Enterprise System.

Click Here To Download Your Profit FX Report


Created by Nick Marks when he was not just down on his luck but at the end of his rope, it has made him a millionaire today. The concept is so simple, it's a wonder no one thought of it earlier. It involves locating successful websites, accurately estimating their revenue earnings and duplicating them. All you need to do is find a success story and duplicate it. All open and above board.

The Forex Enterprise System provides you all you need to know to succeed. It is a simple system that involves just following a few simple rules. You do not need to have any prior experience or special qualifications. And the investment in getting started is low รข€“ a website can be duplicated for as low as $20.

Best of all there is no risk. The $49.95 you pay for the Forex Enterprise System is covered by a no questions asked money back guarantee. If you are not satisfied, just return it for a full refund.

And best of all, you can start off on the Forex Enterprise System while keeping your regular job. When you find the income is as large and as regular as you want it to be (People are making hundreds if not thousands of dollars a day!) you can quit and become you own boss. That's about as risk free as you can get.

Click Here To Download Your Profit FX Report

You Can Change Your Life

Have you ever felt frustrated with the work you do? Have you ever wished you could get out of the rat race and work the way you want, when you want and from where you want? If so, you belong to the majority of working people in the country. But making a decision to step out of the 9 to 5 routine is not easy. What else can you do and how do you get started?

Click Here To Download Your Profit FX Report

Over the last few years, your options have increased. The internet offers many opportunities to make money while working for yourself. Being your own boss means you decide how much you want to work and how much you want to earn. You can achieve the balance between work and family that you have longed for. But where can you find such opportunities? How can you be sure that you are not getting ripped off when you are asked to invest your hard earned money to buy a business plan? What about the skills and expertise you need to run your own business. And what about the investment you need to get the business started?

There is One Safe and Secure Option

Check out the Forex Enterprise System. What makes it unique is that you are informed, in advance, about what the business is all about and how much it will cost you to get started (which could be as low as $20).

This is a simple and completely legal business that involves accurately estimating the profitability of existing websites and duplicating them. In other words, replicating a success story. For the small price of $49.95 you are told how to go about this and get started on being your own boss with the potential to earn thousands of dollars a day. And you need no previous experience, expertise or educational qualifications to get started. Reading how the creator of the Forex Enterprise System got started will prove this.

It's a risk free business opportunity. The $49.95 you pay for the System is covered by a no questions asked money back guarantee if you are not satisfied.

Click Here To Download Your Profit FX Report