"Welcome to the Masquerade"

YES!! Thousand Foot Krutch is going to have a NEW album! called Welcome To The Masquerade!! Which is going to be AGGRESSIVE!!! Said so by Trevor McNevan.

McNevan appeared in a live chat with fans via TFKTV hosted by Mogulus Live Broadcast. In the chat, He revealed several facts about the record. The band has reunited with Aaron Sprinkle to produce this album. Sprinkle had previously produced the TFK album Phenomenon. Trevor stated that the album will be very aggressive, and will contain fifteen tracks potentially including: "Already Home", "Scream", "E for Extinction", "Forward Motion", "Shook", "Bring Me to Life", "Outta Control" and "Smack Down". Emery's Matt Carter and well-known producer and mixer Randy Staub (Metallica, Stone Sour, Nickelback/Our Lady Peace) are also working with Trevor on Welcome to the Masquerade. McNeven stated on his twitter page on April 2 that they had four days of recording and finishing the record left before the live tfktv broadcast that took place on April 6. It has been announced via the bands twitter account that "Welcome to the Masquerade" will be released on September 8, 2009."

Rule #21 : Be together because you want to, not because you need to

So what are you doing with your partner? I don't mean what are you doing now. I mean why are you together? I hope the answer is because you love them and they make you feel good about yourself.

You don't need them though. If your partner is doing their job properly - so are you - you can manage without them. That's not to say you'd choose to, but you could if you had to. In a strong relationship, partners don't breed dependence - they encourage independence. If your partner loves you for who you are, they won't try to change you into something else, but will help you to feel stronger and more confident and secure as a person, and to have greater self-esteem.

That means you're even better equipped than ever to survive on your own. Sure it might be tougher financially (or maybe not). The workload might be heavier ( maybe not). But you'd be able to cope, because you'd be a secure and self-assured person. You don't need to worry that you'd fall apart financially, emotionally or in any other way. You're not relying on your partner for your emotional welfare, because they've shown you that you're a strong and independent person.

So why are you with them? Because you want to be. Isn't that fabulous? Over the years, I've learnt a bit about bereavement. Yes I know you don't want to go there, but if you two stay together, odds are that one of you will go through it. I'm no expert, but I have discovered that people who love their partner but don't need them - who are only there because they want to be - cope far better than those who are dependent in some way, or whose personality is so interwined with their partner's that when their partner has gone, they don't know who they are.

I know it's a tough thing to think about, but how would you cope if your partner suddenly wasn't there anymore? Would you know who you were, and trust yourself to sope despite the overwhelming grief? Given the likelihood that one of you will find yourself in this position eventually, what better gift can you give each other than the confidence and independence to be able to sope alone? The knowledge, even in your darkest hour, that you don't need your partner. You just want them.

Relationship Rule #20 : Be nice

You've had a long and tiring day. In fact it's been a difficult week. You get home grumpy and irritable and you need someone to take it out on. Who's there to oblige? Your partner of course. Always available and it's not surprising you're feeling snappy, so what do they expect?

What they might expect is that you'd treat them nicely. If it was a friend standing there as you walked through the door, you'd manage to find it in you to be polite to them, so why not your partner? After all, they should be the most important person in the world to you, so why don't they get the best treatment?

It's so easy to use your partner as a handy sponge to absorb all your anger and to vent your spleen on. But that doesn't make it right. I've known plenty couples who are snappy and irritable with each other regularly, or even downright rude, simply because they can't be bothered to be nice. Not because either has done anything wrong. None of them have really happy and enviable relationships mind you.

What's wrong with a bit of old-fashioned civility? What became of 'please' and 'thank you' and 'would you mind'? If you want to feel really positive about what you have together, you need to start by being courteous and respectful to each other. Remember your basic manners, and speak with respect and kindness to one another. Fix them their favourite drink, or give them a little gift for no reason at all except the best one of all - because you love them. Pay them compliments, help them with mundane tasks even if it's 'your job' to put shelves or do the ironing or fetch the shopping in from the car.

If your partner comes home after a tiring day, don't give them a chance to take out their irritation on you. Make them a drink, ask them how they are and listen to what they say. Be interested. Perhaps find some little task you can relieve them of. 'Tell you what, you put your feet up and I'll sort out dinner/walk the dog/get the kids to do their homework.' Run them a hot bath (maybe add some relaxing oil or light few candles) and generally make them feel that someone cares. Because you do care.

In any case, think about the example you're setting your partner. You're asking to be treated in the way you treat them, so you'd better make it good. But that's not why you're doing it. You're not being nice in order to make them be nice back. You're being nice because you love them and that's what they deserve.

Rule 78: Treat your love ones the way you believe is right, no matter how they treat you

There are some things in life that hurt a lot more than others. When someone you love and who is supposed to love you unconditionally treats you unfairly or lets you down, then that cuts to the core. So if one of your close family or your love one is unfair, brusque, partisan, or treats you with lack of respect or understanding, it'll really sting.

So what you do if it happens? Well that's a real toughie because when you're hurt, the first gut instinct (like a wild animal) is to lash out or hide away in a cave and lick your wounds for a very long time.

But you're a Rules Player, not a wild animal, so you won't do that. Oh no. No matter how hard it is, and boy this can be really really hard, you have to find that little spot of moral high ground, and stand firmly on it.

Yes i know they may have been really out of order. But also remember that between the one you love, we take things so much more personally because of all the history between us. If your friend cancels a day out at the eleventh hour, you might be a little narked but you'll get over it soon enough. However, if it's your mother or father who cries off at the last minute, well that brings back memories of when they missed your graduation, or the way they always used to postpone your tea parties at short notice, or the way they always seem to think it's OK to let you down, and you find yourself furious about it. This is rejection on a much more deeply seated level.

Let's supposed that even though you might be taking it harder than you should, you still feel your family or your love one are taking advantage of you, or letting you down, or making you feel small, or taking you for granted.

It's very tempting to respond to this in kind. To get back at them by letting them down, or taking advantage of them, or making the same kind of snide comments they make to you.

If you do this, however, you are heading off into a spiral of recrimination that only lead to more quarrels and unpleasantness. This is not what Rules Players do. Neither do they go off and find that cave to hide in and cut off communication for the best part of a year. In fact, the only acceptable way you can behave in these situations is to put yourself outside all that pettiness, and behave exactly as if these people were your friends and not your family or your love ones - in other words with understanding, sympathy and a little bit of forgiveness.

This isn't just about being morally upstanding and honourable. It's also the only way to break the cycle and to forge a better relationship with your love ones. Yes love ones stuff can be difficult from time to time, but this is the only family or love ones you've got. You can find new friends if the ones you have now lets you down, but you'll never get another family or your love ones.

So do as you would be done by, because if you do anything else, you have no legitimate grounds for complaining when your love ones do the same thing back to you. Be the one to set the right example, and show the rest of them how to rise above all that pettiness.

5 MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE

Lesson 1:
A man is getting into the shower just as his wife is finishing up her shower, when the doorbell rings. The wife quickly wraps herself in a towel and runs downstairs. When she opens the door, there stands Bob, the next-door neighbor.

Before she! says a word, Bob says, "I'll give you $800 to drop that towel, "

After thinking for a moment, the woman drops her towel and stands naked in front of Bob After a few seconds, Bob hands her $800 and leaves.
The woman wraps back up in the towel and goes back upstairs. When she gets to the bathroom, her husband asks, "Who was that?"

"It was Bob the next door neighbor," she replies.

"Great," the husband says, "did he say anything about the $800 he owes me?"

Moral of the story:
If you share critical information pertaining to credit and risk with your shareholders in time, you may be in a position to prevent avoidable exposure.

Lesson 2:
A priest offered a Nun a lift. She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg. The priest nearly had an accident. After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.

The nun said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?" The priest removed his hand. But, changing gears, he let his hand slide up her leg again.

The nun once again said, "Father, remember Psalm 129?"

The priest apologized "Sorry sister but the flesh is weak."

Arriving at the convent, the nun sighed heavily and went on her way.

On his arrival at the church, the priest rushed to look up Psalm 129

It said, "Go forth and seek, further up, you will find glory."

Moral of the story:
If you are not well informed in your job, you might miss a great opportunity.

Lesson 3:
A sales rep, an administration clerk, and the manager are walking to lunch when they find an antique oil lamp. They rub it and a Genie comes out.

The Genie says, "I'll give each of you just one wish."

"Me first! Me first!" says the admin clerk. "I want to be in the Bahamas , driving a speedboat, without a care in the world."

Puff! She's gone.

"Me next! Me next!" says the sales rep. "I want to be in Hawaii, relaxing on the beach with my personal masseuse, an endless supply of Pina Coladas and the love of my life."

Puff! He's gone.

"OK, you're up," the Genie says to the manager.

The manager says, "I want those two back in the office after lunch."

Moral of the story:
Always let your boss have the first say.

Lesson 4
An eagle was sitting on a tree resting, doing nothing. A small rabbit saw the eagle and asked him, "Can I also sit like you and do nothing?"

The eagle answered: " Sure , why not."

So, the rabbit sat on the ground below the eagle and rested.

All of a sudden, a fox appeared, jumped on the rabbit and ate it.

Moral of the story:
To be sitting and doing nothing, you must be sitting very, very high up.

Lesson 5
A turkey was chatting with a bull. "I would love to be able to get to the top of that tree," sighed the turkey, "but I haven't got the energy."

"Well, why don't you nibble on some of my droppings?" replied the bull. "They're packed with nutrients." !

The turkey pecked at a lump of dung, and found it actually gave him enough strength to reach the lowest branch of the tree. The next day, after eating some more dung, he reached the second branch. Finally after a fourth night, the turkey was proudly perched at the top of the tree.

He was promptly spotted by a farmer, who shot him out of the! tree.

Moral of the story:
Bull Shit might get you to the top, but it won't keep you there.

Lesson 6
A little bird was flying south for the Winter. It was so cold the bird froze and fell to the ground into a large field. While he was lying there, a cow came by and dropped some dung on him.

As the frozen bird lay there in the pile of cow dung, he began to realize how warm he was. The dung was actually thawing him out! He lay there all warm and happy, and soon began to sing for joy.

A passing cat heard the bird singing and came to investigate. Following the sound, the cat discovered the bird under the pile of cow dung, and promptly dug him out and ate him.

Morals of the story:
(1) Not everyone who shits on you is your enemy.
(2) Not everyone who gets you out of shit is necessary your friend.
(3) And when you're in deep shit, it's better to keep your voice low and watch - enemy or friend!

THIS ENDS THE 5-MINUTE MANAGEMENT COURSE