Common birth dates

Americans born in the months of September and July share their date of birth with a great number of of their compatriots, but those who were welcomed into the world in January can have their special day all to themselves.According to a heat map created by Matt Stiles, a data journalist with the National Public Radio, September 16 is the single most common birthday for Americans between the ages of 14 and 40.

On the other end of the spectrum, the least common date of birth, not surprisingly, is February 29, which comes every four years during a leap year. The second least popular birthday falls on Christmas, December 25, followed by January

1.

Numbers game: According to a heat map created by Matt Stiles, a data journalist with the National Public Radio, September 16 is the single most common birthday for Americans between the ages of 14 and 40

Stiles created his map using data drawn from a chart that had been posted on the New York Times site in 2006, which ranked every day of the year based on how many babies were born in the U.S. on that day between 1973 and 1999.

The darker colors on the heat map appearing on the site The Daily Viz indicate the date has a lower-numbered birthday rank and the lighter colors a higher-numbered birthday rank.

For example, in the month of June, the majority of the days are ranked in the 100th and 200th range, with the most common birthday being June 30, ranked 75th on the chart.

Source 

How common is YOUR birthday?

Americans born in the months of September and July share their date of birth with a great number of of their compatriots, but those who were welcomed into the world in January can have their special day all to themselves.

According to a heat map created by Matt Stiles, a data journalist with the National Public Radio, September 16 is the single most common birthday for Americans between the ages of 14 and 40.

Americans born in the months of September and July share their date of birth with a great number of of their compatriots, but those who were welcomed into the world in January can have their special day all to themselves.

On the other end of the spectrum, the least common date of birth, not surprisingly, is February 29, which comes every four years during a leap year. The second least popular birthday falls on Christmas, December 25, followed by January

1.

Numbers game: According to a heat map created by Matt Stiles, a data journalist with the National Public Radio, September 16 is the single most common birthday for Americans between the ages of 14 and 40

Stiles created his map using data drawn from a chart that had been posted on the New York Times site in 2006, which ranked every day of the year based on how many babies were born in the U.S. on that day between 1973 and 1999.

The darker colors on the heat map appearing on the site The Daily Viz indicate the date has a lower-numbered birthday rank and the lighter colors a higher-numbered birthday rank.

For example, in the month of June, the majority of the days are ranked in the 100th and 200th range, with the most common birthday being June 30, ranked 75th on the chart.

Source 

Decoy


During a routine police patrol, an officer parked his car outside a bar in Kinston, North Carolina. After last call, the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so apparently intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity, in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off; it was a fine, dry summer night, flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little, and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons’ vehicles left.

At last, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out and drove slowly down the road.

The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and administered a breathalyzer test.

To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence that the man had consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, ‘I’ll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken.’

‘I doubt it,’ said the truly proud Redneck. ‘Tonight I’m the designated decoy.’

Smell The Flowers

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.” “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

Decoy


During a routine police patrol, an officer parked his car outside a bar in Kinston, North Carolina. After last call, the officer noticed a man leaving the bar so apparently intoxicated that he could barely walk. The man stumbled around the parking lot for a few minutes, with the officer quietly observing.

After what seemed an eternity, in which he tried his keys on five different vehicles, the man managed to find his car and fall into it. He sat there for a few minutes as a number of other patrons left the bar and drove off. Finally he started the car, switched the wipers on and off; it was a fine, dry summer night, flicked the blinkers on and off a couple of times, honked the horn and then switched on the lights. He moved the vehicle forward a few inches, reversed a little, and then remained still for a few more minutes as some more of the other patrons’ vehicles left.

At last, when his was the only car left in the parking lot, he pulled out and drove slowly down the road.

The police officer, having waited patiently all this time, now started up his patrol car, put on the flashing lights, and promptly pulled the man over and administered a breathalyzer test.

To his amazement, the breathalyzer indicated no evidence that the man had consumed any alcohol at all! Dumbfounded, the officer said, ‘I’ll have to ask you to accompany me to the police station. This breathalyzer equipment must be broken.’

‘I doubt it,’ said the truly proud Redneck. ‘Tonight I’m the designated decoy.’

Smell The Flowers

An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a pole which she carried across her neck.

One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home only one and a half pots of water.

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable that it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house.”

The old woman smiled, “Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot’s side?” “That’s because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them.” “For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to decorate the table. Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty to grace the house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it’s the cracks and flaws we each have that make our lives together so very interesting and rewarding. You’ve just got to take each person for what they are and look for the good in them.

So, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to smell the flowers on your side of the path!

MARRIAGE


When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.

So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. Matthew 19:6.

By Stephanie Halmilton

MARRIAGE


When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?

I avoided her question. This made her angry. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Jane. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Jane so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Jane.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce. She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that every day for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Jane about my wife's divorce conditions. . She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully.

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mommy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Jane about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mom out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind...I walked upstairs. Jane opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Jane, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Jane, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other anymore. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Jane seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead. My wife had been fighting CANCER for months and I was so busy with Jane to even notice. She knew that she would die soon and she wanted to save me from the whatever negative reaction from our son, in case we push thru with the divorce.-- At least, in the eyes of our son--- I'm a loving husband....

The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

If you don't share this, nothing will happen to you.

If you do, you just might save a marriage. Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.

A CHRIST-CENTERED MARRIAGE IS A MARRIAGE THAT IS SURE TO LAST A LIFETIME.

So then, they are no longer two but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate. Matthew 19:6.

By Stephanie Halmilton

Freedom from self


 We always long for what we don't have and so having what you long for is the only way to free yourself from dissatisfaction. We have blamed a lot of things for the lack of freedom in our lives such that it seems revolutionary to go around blaming things and accuse them of oppression. Out of everything one thing that normally escapes blame is Self. Our ability to keep wanting what we don't need makes us vulnerable to dissatisfaction and there isn't a strong sense of self-worth in dissatisfaction, this is somehow the sickness of the whole world. "You can't have it all" is a familiar phrase of comfort to out greedy souls that is lacking in everything with all its surrounded by. We fill the world with everything but ourselves and so with all that we accumulate we still longing for more not knowing that the sense of lack is an indication that you have jailed yourself to free the world to rule you. Contentment is a sense of being satisfied even though you may not have everything but its knowing that you have the one thing that matters, Self. The world has pushed us to be defined by what we achive and not what we attain, people undress themselves to achive fame and attain shame. We drug ourselves with achievements when the emptiness of self shouts silently that "with all you have, you remain nothing". It is said "what good is it to gain the world and lose yourself" With all priority the world advocates self is the last and so we remain salves to our very being, don't free the world free yourself!!!!

 By Siphesihle Shabalala
 Author of Well of Wisdom

© [Freethinkersclub] [2013] All Rights Reserved No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.

Dream or Die



Dream or Die "I have a dream" these words are probably amongst the most famous that anyone has spoken. This is a phrase that propelled the great Martin Luther towards his purpose. These are the words of his vow even to the point of death, this vow made him a valuable man even years after his death. Its a dream that makes a difference, such are people who dare to die so that their dream can forever live. If death is not an intimidation then destiny is the ultimate, many people live in the shadow of fear and put their potential in their grave waiting for their days to end while living a life of mediocre. A dead person is immune to everything that can stimulate life back into their body, such is to be a dreamer: you must be immune to every thing that stairs up elements that pull against your dream. The premise of a dream must be discussed with consideration that destiny is persuade in day light, purpose does not make problems disappear rather they are magnified, therefore we must be clear that the pursuit of purpose is a process and can never at any point be achieved instantly but requires patience and persistence. Clearly define what you see(dream) and develop how you'll get there (destiny). Its is easy to be caught in the day to day busyness without realizing you've lost direction. A small step towards a deliberate direction with birth a drastic destiny. The are three things that will make a dream a day light reality, 1. Establish it as your destiny, 2. Develop direction toward destiny(plan) and 3. Reduce the distance between your dream and destiny by taking a deliberate step toward the direction of destiny. Dreams never die, but destinies can be delay till the person dies. Do it, do it today!!!

by
Siphesihle AfrikaWisdom Shabalala
© [Freethinkersclub] [2013] All Rights Reserved No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.

Freedom from self


 We always long for what we don't have and so having what you long for is the only way to free yourself from dissatisfaction. We have blamed a lot of things for the lack of freedom in our lives such that it seems revolutionary to go around blaming things and accuse them of oppression. Out of everything one thing that normally escapes blame is Self. Our ability to keep wanting what we don't need makes us vulnerable to dissatisfaction and there isn't a strong sense of self-worth in dissatisfaction, this is somehow the sickness of the whole world. "You can't have it all" is a familiar phrase of comfort to out greedy souls that is lacking in everything with all its surrounded by. We fill the world with everything but ourselves and so with all that we accumulate we still longing for more not knowing that the sense of lack is an indication that you have jailed yourself to free the world to rule you. Contentment is a sense of being satisfied even though you may not have everything but its knowing that you have the one thing that matters, Self. The world has pushed us to be defined by what we achive and not what we attain, people undress themselves to achive fame and attain shame. We drug ourselves with achievements when the emptiness of self shouts silently that "with all you have, you remain nothing". It is said "what good is it to gain the world and lose yourself" With all priority the world advocates self is the last and so we remain salves to our very being, don't free the world free yourself!!!!

 By Siphesihle Shabalala
 Author of Well of Wisdom

© [Freethinkersclub] [2013] All Rights Reserved No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.

Dream or Die



Dream or Die "I have a dream" these words are probably amongst the most famous that anyone has spoken. This is a phrase that propelled the great Martin Luther towards his purpose. These are the words of his vow even to the point of death, this vow made him a valuable man even years after his death. Its a dream that makes a difference, such are people who dare to die so that their dream can forever live. If death is not an intimidation then destiny is the ultimate, many people live in the shadow of fear and put their potential in their grave waiting for their days to end while living a life of mediocre. A dead person is immune to everything that can stimulate life back into their body, such is to be a dreamer: you must be immune to every thing that stairs up elements that pull against your dream. The premise of a dream must be discussed with consideration that destiny is persuade in day light, purpose does not make problems disappear rather they are magnified, therefore we must be clear that the pursuit of purpose is a process and can never at any point be achieved instantly but requires patience and persistence. Clearly define what you see(dream) and develop how you'll get there (destiny). Its is easy to be caught in the day to day busyness without realizing you've lost direction. A small step towards a deliberate direction with birth a drastic destiny. The are three things that will make a dream a day light reality, 1. Establish it as your destiny, 2. Develop direction toward destiny(plan) and 3. Reduce the distance between your dream and destiny by taking a deliberate step toward the direction of destiny. Dreams never die, but destinies can be delay till the person dies. Do it, do it today!!!

by
Siphesihle AfrikaWisdom Shabalala
© [Freethinkersclub] [2013] All Rights Reserved No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.

What is Your Reality?


“The Happiest Place on Earth.” “There’s no Substitute.” “I’m Loving It.” Ordinary sentences, however behind these ordinary phrases billion dollar corporations have taken ownership of these slogans. They have spent a great amount of time and money to come up with a sentence, which they think would entice consumers the best in order to choose their product over the abundance of alternatives, if you can afford it that is.

Every year hundred thousands of dollars are spent on advertising and publicity budgets in order to create a world where the consumer is the protagonist and as the hero of this world you really cannot live without their product or brand. In order to make a profit, one needs to be prepared to invest. In this case the investment is the numerous research in human behavior, human expenditures and how to link these two together. Roderick White, writer of many advertising books points out that an American Advertising agency adheres to the following rules:

Rule 1: There are no rules
Rule 2: There may be exceptions to rule 1

But also, there are 5 general rules:
1. Every ad should embody a clear, straightforward proposition
2. Say what you want to say in as few words as possible
3. There is no place for humor in advertising
4. Give the consumer credit for some intelligence
5. Be original[1]

Rule 4 clearly points out their perception of the average consumer they wish to target. In addition David Ogilvy once wrote: “Products, like people, have personalities which can make or break them in the market place.”[2]With this in mind companies assign emotional appeal to their products or brand creating the ultimate emotional selling proposition[3]. They offer their aid in order to ensure that the perception of others on your role in society is flawless. The perception of reality is easily distorted; the basic fears, insecurities and inabilities are easily identified which the companies will gladly take advantage of as their products will complete you and make you superior to anybody else.

Why should we pay attention to the ugly truth anyway? If you can choose to look at your handsome IPhone 5 retina screen or the fact that the phone you are looking at in question was actually built by teenagers who earn, about 70 cents an hour, while you paid, let’s say $700-$800 for it. The only party who celebrates this difference is a small percentage of the world who is cashing in their money either way.

The surge of information available these days makes it hard to actually find what you are looking for. Distraction is all around. Whether by brands and products claiming that you need them, not to mention the discounts that brings you a step closer to them, or channels that provide you with information or entertainment, also called infotainment. One click and you are further removed from your destination.

While you had a route planned you actually end up taking side roads, (a cute dress), alleyways (information on the Boston bombing and becoming an investigative reporter crosses your mind), high ways, (Washington re-opens peace talks between Israel and Palestine and you actually think you have the solution), and even go cross continent (all inclusive holidays to Thailand, you are on the verge of booking a ticket). It does make your journey more exciting, however you never seem to reach your destination - and you never made it to Thailand either. In a matter of minutes a wave of information has been presented to you, all the while you try to figure out how to avoid paying shipping costs for that cute dress, you have forgotten what you were looking for in the first place.

The supply of information on the internet is endless, in fact every two days the amount of information posted on the internet equals all the information that has ever been gathered from the start of civilization until 2003. This equals to 5 Exabytes[4]. The below graph indicates how much an Exabyte actually is.


Prefixes for multiples of
bits (b) or bytes (B)
Decimal
Value
1000
k
10002
M
10003
G
10004
T
10005
P
10006
E
10007
Z
10008
Y
Value
1024
K
kilo
Ki
kibi
10242
M
mega
Mi
mebi
10243
G
giga
Gi
gibi
10244
T
tera
Ti
tebi
10245
Pi
pebi
10246
Ei
exbi
10247
Zi
zebi
10248
Yi
yobi
Figure 1.[5]

In this sense the Internet is the number one source to gather information. It has turned people into information junkies. Information junkies like to collect as much information is possible, whether the information is relevant is not important. They like to share what they know. Some would consider knowledge is power. A fierce competition of cerebral data harboring seems to be at hand. They perpetually munch on data and regurgitate the information while being completely indifferent of the situation they are in.

In essence the amount of information you can store in your brain could enhance your role within society adding to all the new products you have just purchased and brands you associate yourself with, well equipped to play any role society deems you worthy to portray. A first impression can have you classified in four categories,
- without even having said one word - the clothes you are wearing, the color of your skin, your hairstyle and the expression on your face. Finally the words that come out of your mouth can either confirm the classification or inconveniently confuse the categorization process, also knows as cognitive dissonance.

Whether you are perfectly fine living in your own warped reality or you are being violently pulled from your dormant state the reality is that you believe what you want to believe.

By Julie Ng





[1] Roderick White: Advertising – what it is and how to do it. McGraw Hill, Maidenhead 1980.
[2] David Ogilvy: Ogilvy on Advertising. Pan Books, London 1983.
[3] Philip Kotler: Marketing Management. Prentice Hall.
[4]http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byte


© [Freethinkersclub] [2013]
All Rights Reserved
No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.


What is Your Reality?


“The Happiest Place on Earth.” “There’s no Substitute.” “I’m Loving It.” Ordinary sentences, however behind these ordinary phrases billion dollar corporations have taken ownership of these slogans. They have spent a great amount of time and money to come up with a sentence, which they think would entice consumers the best in order to choose their product over the abundance of alternatives, if you can afford it that is.

Every year hundred thousands of dollars are spent on advertising and publicity budgets in order to create a world where the consumer is the protagonist and as the hero of this world you really cannot live without their product or brand. In order to make a profit, one needs to be prepared to invest. In this case the investment is the numerous research in human behavior, human expenditures and how to link these two together. Roderick White, writer of many advertising books points out that an American Advertising agency adheres to the following rules:

Rule 1: There are no rules
Rule 2: There may be exceptions to rule 1

But also, there are 5 general rules:
1. Every ad should embody a clear, straightforward proposition
2. Say what you want to say in as few words as possible
3. There is no place for humor in advertising
4. Give the consumer credit for some intelligence
5. Be original[1]

Rule 4 clearly points out their perception of the average consumer they wish to target. In addition David Ogilvy once wrote: “Products, like people, have personalities which can make or break them in the market place.”[2] With this in mind companies assign emotional appeal to their products or brand creating the ultimate emotional selling proposition[3]. They offer their aid in order to ensure that the perception of others on your role in society is flawless. The perception of reality is easily distorted; the basic fears, insecurities and inabilities are easily identified which the companies will gladly take advantage of as their products will complete you and make you superior to anybody else.

Why should we pay attention to the ugly truth anyway? If you can choose to look at your handsome IPhone 5 retina screen or the fact that the phone you are looking at in question was actually built by teenagers who earn, about 70 cents an hour, while you paid, let’s say $700-$800 for it. The only party who celebrates this difference is a small percentage of the world who is cashing in their money either way.

The surge of information available these days makes it hard to actually find what you are looking for. Distraction is all around. Whether by brands and products claiming that you need them, not to mention the discounts that brings you a step closer to them, or channels that provide you with information or entertainment, also called infotainment. One click and you are further removed from your destination.

While you had a route planned you actually end up taking side roads, (a cute dress), alleyways (information on the Boston bombing and becoming an investigative reporter crosses your mind), high ways, (Washington re-opens peace talks between Israel and Palestine and you actually think you have the solution), and even go cross continent (all inclusive holidays to Thailand, you are on the verge of booking a ticket). It does make your journey more exciting, however you never seem to reach your destination - and you never made it to Thailand either. In a matter of minutes a wave of information has been presented to you, all the while you try to figure out how to avoid paying shipping costs for that cute dress, you have forgotten what you were looking for in the first place.

The supply of information on the internet is endless, in fact every two days the amount of information posted on the internet equals all the information that has ever been gathered from the start of civilization until 2003. This equals to 5 Exabytes[4]. The below graph indicates how much an Exabyte actually is.


Prefixes for multiples of
bits (b) or bytes (B)
Decimal
Value
1000
k
10002
M
10003
G
10004
T
10005
P
10006
E
10007
Z
10008
Y
Value
1024
K
kilo
Ki
kibi
10242
M
mega
Mi
mebi
10243
G
giga
Gi
gibi
10244
T
tera
Ti
tebi
10245
Pi
pebi
10246
Ei
exbi
10247
Zi
zebi
10248
Yi
yobi
Figure 1.[5]

In this sense the Internet is the number one source to gather information. It has turned people into information junkies. Information junkies like to collect as much information is possible, whether the information is relevant is not important. They like to share what they know. Some would consider knowledge is power. A fierce competition of cerebral data harboring seems to be at hand. They perpetually munch on data and regurgitate the information while being completely indifferent of the situation they are in.

In essence the amount of information you can store in your brain could enhance your role within society adding to all the new products you have just purchased and brands you associate yourself with, well equipped to play any role society deems you worthy to portray. A first impression can have you classified in four categories,
- without even having said one word - the clothes you are wearing, the color of your skin, your hairstyle and the expression on your face. Finally the words that come out of your mouth can either confirm the classification or inconveniently confuse the categorization process, also knows as cognitive dissonance.

Whether you are perfectly fine living in your own warped reality or you are being violently pulled from your dormant state the reality is that you believe what you want to believe.

By Julie Ng





[1] Roderick White: Advertising – what it is and how to do it. McGraw Hill, Maidenhead 1980.
[2] David Ogilvy: Ogilvy on Advertising. Pan Books, London 1983.
[3] Philip Kotler: Marketing Management. Prentice Hall.
[4] http://techcrunch.com/2010/08/04/schmidt-data/
[5] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Byte


© [Freethinkersclub] [2013]
All Rights Reserved
No part of this website or any of its contents may be reproduced, copied, modified or adapted, without the prior written consent of the author and blog, unless otherwise indicated for stand-alone materials.