wehappy-future

Real Estate Investors - Bank Foreclosures

2008-11-24T23:00:00.001-08:00

Author : Bill Carey
The time is now to get in on year end deals from banks and mortgage companies who are carrying foreclosure properties (REO real estate owned). Foreclosures - REO's are an on going problem for the mortgage industry at a 52 year high, banks and mortgage companies are overloaded with homes.To get your best deals in foreclosure properties follow these tips:Work with a Real Estate Agent - agents are ready and willing to work with investors, remember that agents expect to do business now don't drag them all over town wasting their time and your time. Be ready to buy. Some commissions are as low as 1.5% that's $375.00 to an agent on a $50,000 property which is normally $750.00 not much income after all the hoops the mortgage companies will make them jump through.Top Agents – In today's real estate world the top agents can put you into a VIP or email program where you will receive daily emails' with complete property descriptions and photos. You go check out the properties you are interest in and call the agent when you want to go inside. This comes with a price the agent will expect you to sign a Buyer Agent agreement for this service. Agents will bend over backwards for you if you treat them fairly and don't expect them to work for nothing.MLS and REO Services – Access to property information is pretty easy today if you know where to look. You can get access to the public side of the MLS and find most properties for sale you will not be able to do the fine tuned search that your agent can. Banks and mortgage companies all have web sites you can access to hunt for properties; again your agent can get more detailed information and be on an email list as a registered licensed agent. You can do all the work yourself with out an agent, but you will need an agent to make an offer.HUD – VA – Government Owned – The only access you will have to these properties is through an agent who is registered with the agency. Some properties have special keyed locks and only registered agents have the keys. The process is more detailed and closing by year end is not as important, this is the government they don't have share holders to answer to.Be Ready To Buy – Have your financing in place line up your hard money lenders, self-directed IRA's, private lenders, partners, credit cards, and cash, 2nd mortgage your home. What ever you plan on using to buy an investment property be ready and able to close before year end to get the best discounts.Bill Carey with over 30 years in real estate sales, investments, and home building offers a unique perspective to the buying and selling process of residential real estate for F*R*E*E consumer information and reports log on to http://www.CharlotteNCExecutiveHomes.com and see
"Insider Real Estate Secrets Revealed"
...a must-read for Home-Owners and Renters!
It's a F*R*E*E 12-lesson e-course covering more than 20 topics exposing the realities behind buying and selling a home.
It Could Make(or Save) You Thousands of DollarsSee http://www.BillCareyRealtor.com and sign up for our monthly e-newsletter with tips for buyers, sellers, home owners and soon to be home owners.(Your Comments are Welcome)
Category : Finance:Real-Estate

Preformed Ponds Manufactured from New Rubber/Plastic Composite More Durable and Resistant to Wear

2008-08-08T07:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Gerry Fung
Traditionally, liner kits have presented many difficulties for the beginner pond gardener. Since every liner pond shape is different, pond gardeners must customize their own pond, ensure that it is level, and ensure that it does not have excessive wrinkling. A flexible preformed pond, on the other hand, is easy to install. The flexible preformed shell already has a pre-defined shape, yet it is easily transportable, since a typical folding kit comes in a box that can fit into your car truck (I.e. it is one-sixth the size of a regular preformed kit). Thus, installation involves merely removing the pond from the kit, unfolding it, digging a hole, and inserting the pond shell into the hole.One common complaint of customers in the past has been that flexible pond shells have been difficult to unfold. To address this problem, as of January 2006, Algreen Products has introduced a new line of flexible preformed pond kits which are manufactured from a novel blend of rubber, nylon, and plastic. Using the new rubber-based composite, Algreen's ponds are now extremely easy to unfold. Because of the flexibility offered by the rubber component, which is supplemented by the stiffness offered by the plastic component, the ponds are also many times more resistant to breakage and wear.According to Melissa Mulligan, sales and marketing director at Algreen Products, "This new innovation makes our flexible ponds easier to unfold, more durable, and more resistant to wear and breakage this composite will revolutionize the preformed pond business."Algreen is currently incorporating the proprietary composite material into their line of folding pond shells and streamlets. The new pond shells and streamlets are being introduced in a black colour, and are currently available from www.buypond.com. The composite has also been introduced in their 144 gallon granite pond kits.Each Algreen pond kit comes complete with:
A rubber/plastic composite pond shell and streamlet (sizes detailed above).
A SuperFlo submersible pump with a built-in pre-filter, telescopic riser, and a diverter.
Fountain heads that allow you to set up a fountain in the middle of your pond.
Tubing and clamps.
2 silk pond lilies.
A 20-year manufacturer's warranty on the pond/streamlet, and a 2-year manufacturer's warranty on the pump.
A free SuperGlo underwater light!
For more information about preformed ponds, please go to http://www.gardenSM.com.
Category : Home-and-Family:Landscaping-Gardening

Isn't It Time For You to Get the Online Degree From the Best University?

2008-08-01T02:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Saad Saleem
Top jobs are like a lottery; you have to be âœIn itâ to win it. âœIn itâ means you have to be a player with a right degree, masters or PhD to be in the game of top jobs. But if you donâ™t have it you will not be able to join the game of top jobs. Itâ™s just simple as that. Luckily online universities and colleges have made it possible for anyone to become a player.Most people would like to be in the game but unfortunately they search and read the rules again and again without any outcome. Today there are 100s of online universities and colleges that offer numerous online degree and diploma courses and therefore, leave you with no excuse about a degree that you never had a chance to acquire.The only problem is that you have so many different universities, colleges, courses etc that it is difficult to choose one. The first thing you would need to decide about is your criteria, what course you want to do? Can you afford it? Have you got the time and are you ready to make a commitment to give time to your studies? Are you self-motivated? If the answer is yes then bingo you have got it all.After that the only thing you need to do is to pick one of the 100s of universities and colleges and enroll in a course. Itâ™s easy, isnâ™t it? Or may be not so easy.The things to consider about choosing a university or college would obviously starts from the cost. Some universities and colleges are expensive so might not be within your budget, but most of them are relatively cheaper than traditional one. Donâ™t forget you will be saving on traveling, outfits etc anyway doesnâ™t matter whichever you choose.Convenience is also another great advantage of online courses. In most universities you can enroll in anytime of the year. You can carry on with your life and still manage to log in when you have time and continue with your studies. The question to consider is how many days you need to log in and study in a week? Some Universities require you to log in about 4 days a week, while others are not so strict.The accreditation is another important aspect, which you must consider. Universities and colleges are normally regulated and supervised by the regional authorities. There were some fake universities and colleges around but luckily these types donâ™t last that long and normally disappear quickly. You can find some good and reputable universities and colleges.Another thing, which is important, is the duration of the course, some universities or colleges requires a commitment of at least 2 years while others, which are also accredited institutes, may issue you a degree based upon your previous work experiences. You can find them as well on the above website address.Now its up to you to either get into the game and become a player or continue with your life and your search for a better future.Saad Saleem writes on a variety of subjects including online education. All his articles may be reproduced provided that an active link is included to http://www.friends4study.com and/or http://www.schoolsearch.be
Category : Adsense

How to Design Your Own Christmas Quilling Patterns

2008-07-27T19:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Mandy Buchanan
Looking for Christmas quilling patterns for your Christmas cards or perhaps to quill
Christmas decorations? Why not make your own? There really is only one simple secret
to creating your own quilling patterns - draw pictures using the shapes you know how to
quill.

A very simple pattern that I created using only coils, squares, triangles and a single
diamond was a christmas tree with presents around it. Three large triangles formed
the Christmas tree itself with three brown squares as the trunk of the Christmas tree.
I used the single yellow diamond to decorate the top of the Christmas tree with a few
coils as baubles on the Christmas tree. A couple of colored squares I placed around the
based as presents. If you know quilling this is a really simple pattern but at the same
time really effective for this time of year.

Try putting shapes together in different ways to form new shapes to make more complex
patterns. For example use three triangles in making the manger, but put the centre
one on its base while the two on either side of it rest on their tips. This gives you the
shape of a manger.

Baby Jesus in the manger is really simple as well, simply use a semi-circle (half-moon)
to create the "swaddling clothes" over him with a circle at the one end for the head.

Use your imagination or examine pictures of Christmas cards or Christmas pictures that
you like and draw them out in basic shapes that you know how to quill and you will have
your Christmas quilling pattern. Enjoy creating those patterns and blessing your family
and friends with them and Happy Christmas.This Article was written by Mandy Buchanan, Owner of 1 Way Resources, your 1 stop information
center. To get more information about quilling visit http://www.1wayresources.co.za/quilling.htm
or to see more of our arts and crafts articles visit http://www.1wayresources.co.za/crafts.htm
Category : Domains

Obesity Epidemic and Alcohol Abuse - Linked to stopping smoking?

2008-07-27T08:00:00.001-07:00

Author :

Ebay Auction for Golf Weekend with Junior Seau at Caesars Palace, Las Vegas

2008-07-26T14:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Keith HUnt

te">January 14th, 2005

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2008-07-25T18:18:00.000-07:00

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2008-07-25T08:02:00.005-07:00

7 Inch Digital Frame

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2008-07-25T08:02:00.003-07:00

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2008-07-25T08:02:00.001-07:00

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Ready to Sign that Lease Agreement?

2008-07-24T19:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Adam Smith
Is Signing that Lease Agreement Right for You?

The real estate market is booming across the United States, especially in select areas of California as well as Las Vegas. Even the sleepy town of Boise, Idaho is experiencing record breaking primary residential development. Where ever you happen to live, you have probably noticed itÃ‚â™s not so easy to get into that coveted house you have always dreamed of, despite the favorable mortgage rates. So what should you do?

Lessons Learned from the Past

With such uncertainty around the real estate market, perhaps it is best to stay away from owning your own property. Many so called experts predict the housing market in the US has finally reach bubble status, and expect that bubble to burst in the near future. They may have submitted their predictions a bit early, but their advice should be considered. If we learned anything from the stock market bubble and subsequent crash of 2000, we realized frequently a conservative approach to investing serves us well when uncertainty surrounds the market.

Protect yourself and consider the advantages of renting or leasing versus buying your own home. A renter assumes far less risk by signing his/her name to a lease agreement than when closing on a house. Typically a rental agreement locks you into a contract for a short period of time, relatively speaking, during which the rental rate is locked as well. Such a contract can protect you from the downswings of the real estate market, especially the volatility frequently demonstrated by adjustable rate mortgages. Granted, as a renter you donÃ‚â™t stand to gain any equity in the house should the market turn up. However, you also donÃ‚â™t expose yourself to the violent downswings in housing values wrought by an oversaturated market. Should you buy a house now and a year later need to move to pursue a new job opportunity, what happens when your realize those inflated prices you paid for your house are not so inflated anymore, and suddenly you owe more on your house than it is worth? That is called negative equity, and instinctively you realize no good can come of such a situation. Hence renting offers flexibility, both financially and physically speaking.

Avoiding the Headaches of Ownership

By agreeing only to rent the dwelling, you manage to avoid many of the disadvantages associated with owning a house. Normally the landlord is responsible for general maintenance of the flat. Many home owners are quick to offer their stories of frustration, disappointment, and even anger when things go wrong in the house. Pipes burst, flooding occurs, air conditioning units break during the scorching summer days of July, and heating systems fail in the dead of winter. All these things can and will happen, setting homeowners back considerably. Thus, as a renter you can avoid many of the major financial investments owners must make to maintain the comfort and livability provided by a dwelling. Agreeing to a lease agreement helps mitigate the risks of living in a home or apartment.

Weighing your Options

A rental or lease agreement can offer many advantages to those of you looking for a place to live. Ultimately, each individual must decide what is right for them. Some are more than willing to bear the risk inherent to the housing market because they have a strong positive cash flow and are in a position to endure the twists and turns of the market.

DonÃ‚â™t be afraid to weigh your options and consider the risks of owning versus renting. For many, playing the game conservatively and waiting for housing prices to come back down to Earth will prove to be a successful strategy. There is no shame in signing that lease agreement, living in an apartment for a year or two before moving on to that house you have wanted so badly.

Seven Tips on how to select a domain name

2008-07-24T17:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Paul Wilson

Instinct or random selection is not how one selects a domain name. It is to be done with great thought and purpose. There exists a philosophy to it. Consider the following:? A common and sensible method would be to use the name of your site as the domain name. Like www.writerfind.com is a sensible domain for a site where one can locate writers or www.dictionary.com for an online dictionary. When the purpose of the site is a part of the URL it makes it easy for customers to remember the site and for new browsers to click on it.? If the domain name is for an industry then you could think of using a generic name. Select a name that represents one hundred percent the market segment, www.autoinsurance.com would represent to a ?T? the auto insurance business.? Choose a domain with a.com extension. If that is not available then the alternate should also be a top level domain type. ? A short domain name is recommended over a long one just for the sake of easy recollection. However a long domain name can contain more key words and this could be a benefit where search engines are concerned. Research your options carefully. A long name works if it is dead on and meaningful. ? The golden rules are a domain name should be easy to remember, easy to spell, and easy to pronounce. In other words tongue twisters are out. It must be simple on all counts.? Consider all marketing aspects like brand recall. Many profitable enterprises have a domain name that is the brand identity of their business. Examples of successful brands are Hot Mail, Google, Ebay, and Amazon.? Pause to think and:A. Write down clearly the focus of your site and its business goals. Namely ?what is my site about??B. List the key words. C. Use the description and key words to coin a domain name that represents clearly the two important factors. Make a list of as many as you can. D. Next test availability at a domain name search engine.E. If .com is not available check for .net and so on.F. Be sure to zero in on a name that will serve its purpose. Never choose a domain because its there. G. Still in a quandary then use domain name research tools.H. If you find the perfect name is bought by someone then consider buying the domain name from them. This would depend on your budget.I. Alternately use suffixes for the domain name like universe, world, links, resource, business, inc, store, directory, guide and so on.The key is to think globally. The World Wide Web has no boundaries. Musts are recall, presence, and functionality. Paul Wilson is a freelance writer for http://www.1888Discuss.com/domain/ , the premier REVENUE SHARING discussion forum for Domain Forum including topics on domain trading, domain registration, domain sale and offers, adult domain and more. He also freelances for the premier Domain Site http://www.1866Domains.com

Category : General Web Hosting

Write an eBook to create free viral marketing for your website

2008-07-23T16:40:00.001-07:00

Author : David Bain

Whether the ebook's free or costly, you're wasting your own time, and more importantly, reducing your brand value by promoting a worthless product. So make sure that your ebook has 'added value' for your consumers.Why write an ebook?An ebook is either just a marketing tool or both a revenue generator and a marketing tool. If you choose to charge for your ebook, then its value as a marketing tool will be diminished. You have to decide whether you'll gain more long-term value from selling the ebook or telling your readers about an additional product or service. Just bear in mind that if you've chosen to sell the ebook, the information that you provide should be original, unique, and it should be difficult to offer a free alternative quickly.How do you write an ebook?An ebook is generally written in HTML, although many of the top pieces of ebook software generally have WYSIWYG editors as well. My ebook, www.InternetMillionaireEbook.com has been written using eBook Pro which is one probably the leading piece of ebook software in the marketplace. There are of course other packages available, but I'm happy to recommend this one. Before you buy your software, make sure that you get a decent set of instructions or preferably some practical 'how to' videos as well as some reliable backup support. It's important to make sure that your ebook looks as professional as possible.What are the marketing benefits of writing an ebook?Conventional marketers will tell you that you need to get the press talking about you. Free editorials give a business the opportunity to appear in a newspaper or magazine at no charge. An free ebook has the potential to have just as much impact. Once the ball starts rolling, your ebook could be distributed by recommendation without any effort. A 'viral ebook' has a button on it that lets readers click to automatically email the download link for the book to a friend. Click on the 'Email a friend' button at the top of this ebook and email a few of your friends to see how easy it is. As you can imagine, this could have an exponential marketing impact. Copyright 2006 www.BuildYourOwnBusiness.biz David Bain is founder of the independent business articles resource, www.BuildYourOwnBusiness.biz. BuildYourOwnBusiness offers the latest business news & management advice on how best to build your own business - business articles on Strategy, eBusiness, Change Management & much, much more. David Bain is founder of the independent business articles resource, www.BuildYourOwnBusiness.biz. BuildYourOwnBusiness offers the latest business news & management advice on how best to build your own business - business articles on Strategy, eBusiness, Change Management & much, much more.

Category : General EBooks

How Well Do You Know Your Child?

2008-07-23T04:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Marie Roker
Do you think you really know your child? I don't mean know what he/she likes and doesn't like, but to know him/her well enough to understand his/her challenges, to appreciate his/her strengths and weaknesses and to help him/her develop his talents. Knowing your children can help increase their chance for success in the future and improve your relationship.As parents, we are constantly looking for ways to improve out relationship with our children, discipline our children and provide proper guidance. How many of us take the time to get to really know our child? Some of us believe that our children are extensions of us and don't have their own thoughts, dreams and goals. When was the last time you sat down with your child to find out what they are thinking? The answers may surprise you. Children, especially during puberty, start to discover and develop their identity. They go through an emotional and psychological identity crisis and question and challenge their parents. At this point, children start to crave support and direction from their parents, but are not always compelled to ask for it. But how can you help your child, if you do not know their needs? Simple, ask them!You are not a mind reader and your child probably will not voluntarily share his/her personal information with you. When you start to offer unsolicited advice, they feel that you are being intrusive or nosy and get defensive.There are two simple steps to getting to know your child.The first step is to listen more and speak less. Let your child direct the conversation and when they ask for your advice, offer it without being judgmental or critical. Lecturing and berating your child for poor judgment or unhealthy decisions will not help you to understand him/her more because you will not be getting to the core reason for the behavior. If you do not have the proper information, how can you give your child the support that he/she needs? By listening, you will be able to help your child understand how their choices and decisions affect their lives and direct them to making healthier and more responsible decisions. By being an active listener, you learn to acknowledge what your child is feeling and give your child the information and advice that he/she needs.The second step is to ask the questions that will create meaningful conversation. The typical responses to âœHow was your day?â are âœGoodâ or âœFine.â Ask open ended questions instead of closed ended questions that result in one word responses. Ask specific rather than general questions that will stimulate your child to think. Show your child that you have a genuine interest in what is going on in his/her life. Don't force this process, let it come naturally and soon your child will respond. Ask casually and soon your child will start to volunteer the information. Find out who influences your child. Even ask tough questions such as, "How do you feel about our family?" The point is not to judge your child's responses, but to know what he/she is thinking or how he/she is feeling. Ask your child if he/she has any resolutions for this year. What was his/her biggest challenge or setback last year? Ask the questions without interrogating. Don't bombard them with questions or you may face resistance. Resolve today to spend a few minutes each day getting to know your child better. This is one of the most valuable gifts you can give to your child.Recommended Further Reading:
http://www.personalitylab.org/tests/ccq_parent_choose.htm
http://www.cfc-efc.ca/docs/cccf/rs007_en.htm/Marie Magdala Roker is an Academic and Personal Development Coach and Certified Breakthrough Parenting Instructor who works with parents to help them unlock and nurture the personal and academic potential in their children and motivate their children to success.You can find her on the web at http://www.successfulchild.com.
Category : Podcasts

A Guide to Modern Motor Scooters

2008-07-21T00:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Larry A. Johnson
Motor scooters are vehicles with small wheels and a low-powered gasoline engine geared to the rear wheel. The first patents for âœfoot poweredâ scooters date back to 1921. Up to that time there were no motors attached to the scooter. They were propelled by âœfoot power.âThe old-fashioned foot-powered push scooter was updated to a Razor motor scooter under the direction of Gino Tsai, whose father was a mechanical engineer for the J. D. Corporation in Shanghai, Taiwan. His motor scooter took about 5 years to design.Gino Tsai claims that the reason he invented the Razor motor scooter was due to the fact that his father had to walk for miles every day around the huge bicycle factory that he worked for because of his short legs. To solve this problem he updated the old-fashioned push scooter into what we now know as the modern Razor motor scooter.When Gino finished the development of his motor scooter he began to market it to the public. It quickly became a huge success with customers waiting as long as six months for their orders.Why was the Razor motor scooter so popular? The Razor scooter was made from lightweight airplane grade aluminum which can support over 1000 pounds without bending. It is foldable, which means it can be stored in very small places. It has small polyurethane wheels and a low-powered engine. Braking is activated by stepping down on the rear fender.Today there are many different brands and models of motor scooters. We have electric scooters and gas powered motor scooters. They are very versatile and functional, serving many different purposes. They are patterned after motorcycles, but have smaller wheels, lower-powered engines and can be "stepped through," unlike the motorcycle.The most commonly seen style of scooter is the âœfolding,â or âœfoldable,â scooter. These are two-wheeled models that are typically used for traveling short distances around the neighborhood. Braking occurs when the back fender is stepped on, putting pressure on the back wheel and stopping its movement. This type of motor scooter is made for kids or adults and can also be used to perform tricks on. It is very compact in size and can be folded for storage in small places.A unique feature of freestyle folding motor scooters is the âœkicktail,â a portion of the foot deck that extends over the back wheel. This is what provides the leverage for performing tricks. Motor scooters with âœkicktailsâ are called freestyle scooters and usually have hand brakes due to the fact that the back fender allows for the performance of tricks instead of braking.Electric scooters are generally bigger and heavier. Because of the extra weight they consume more power and can only go shorter distances when compared with the folding scooters. After about 10 or 15 miles it may be necessary to recharge the battery.These electric, or battery-powered, motor scooters are often used to travel short distances around the neighborhood or perhaps on a school campus or other confined environment. They are particularly popular among the elderly, handicapped and disabled. Instead of being confined at home these elderly or handicapped people can now have some of their former independence returned to them. Motor scooters of this type are usually called mobility scooters.Gas powered motorized scooters are usually more powerful and can attain higher speeds than the folding scooters or electric scooters. They can also travel longer distances when a larger fuel tank is included. Gas scooters may not be permitted in some areas so it is wise to check out the laws and regulations in your area before purchasing a motor scooter.Motor scooters are cheap fun. Larry Johnson loves traveling around town without the need to take out a loan for gas. Visit My Motor Scooters for more information about electric or gas motor scooters.
Category : Disease & Illness

How to Get Autographs from Pro Football Players

2008-07-20T17:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Zuniga11

When the New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady was eight years old, he found himself in the San Francisco Giants' locker room where he asked Chili Davis, a star for the team at the time, for an autograph.Davis refused, but said, "Maybe later kid, maybe if you come by after the game." So the young Brady stuck around, and after the game he re-approached his favorite player, only to be turned away again by Davis saying, "No, I'm not signing autographs after the game."The effect stuck with Brady, both in terms of the disappointment it brought him and in Brady's future outlook on autographs when he found himself in a similar situation."I certainly was hurt," Brady told Tuff Stuff magazine, "but at the same time, I was in the guy's clubhouse and now I look at it from a different perspective than I did when I was that age. At the time, though, it seemed like such a little request."One would expect walking into the Patriot's locker room and asking for autographs might be a fast way to get your butt kicked, but there are ways you can position yourself in the autograph-giver's radar without becoming a nuisance.First, you must have something to sign. Having a playing sign your arm may seem like a fun idea at the time--and they may well oblige-but it's largely a pointless act since you're going to eventually wash it off. A good rule of thumb is if you're not going straight to the tattoo parlor to have a tattoo artist trace the autograph, don't bother with body signing. Always carry a good quality pen. What's the point in handing the player something to sign if you don't have something to sign it with?Next, know who you're talking to. If you can call the player by name, or say something that shows you have taken an interest in him, he's going to look at you more sympathetically than someone else. The next important thing is location, location, location. It is far easier to get a player to sign something from front row seats than from seats in the second balcony.If you get a good seat and get to the game early, you can also talk to the players as they walk by. If you can get one in conversation for a while, you might end up getting a few other players to stop by as well. Sometimes a player will start signing autographs and a crowd will quickly form, which is another reason to get to the game early. Fighting a crowd for signatures--or worse--being in your seat as dozens of fans start crowding around you is likely to get you more than annoyed.If you can learn where the players come into and out of the stadium, that's another great place to find them ready to sign, pose for photos, shake hands, etc. They're far more likely to stick around for a while when they're not in a hurry.If you're just looking for a signed photo, you can write the player in care of the team's address. A better way is to also include a self-addressed stamped envelope and an unsigned 8x10 photo to the football player's personal address. For instant access to the best mailing address, agent, manager, publicist, production company, and charitable cause for over 54,000 celebrities worldwide, visit Contact Any Celebrity now at http://www.contactanycelebrity.com to search their online database! You may reprint or share this article as long as you link back to or credit http://www.ContactAnyCelebrity.com .

Category : General Sports

PR and the Small Matter of Results

2008-07-19T16:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Robert A. Kelly
As a business, non-profit and association manager, how
satisfied are you when the public relations people assigned
to your unit spend the bulk of their time on someone's favorite
special event, brochures, press releases and talk-show
mentions?Especially when you'd rather have a public relations effort
that creates the kind of key stakeholder behavior change
that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives?You know, PR that does something positive about the
important outside audiences whose behaviors most affect
your operation. And, in the bargain, helps persuade those
key external audiences to your way of thinking, helping
move them to take actions that allow your department,
division or subsidiary to succeed.After all, what public relations boils down to are these realities:
the right PR really CAN alter individual perception and lead
to changed behaviors that help you succeed. Your public
relations effort must involve more than parties, videos,
booklets and column mentions if you really want to get your
money's worth. And you need a simple blueprint that gets
everyone working towards the same external audience
behaviors insuring that the organization's public relations
effort stays sharply focused.Sounds like good stuff, and it is!Here's one blueprint that can lead you in that direction: people
act on their own perception of the facts before them, which
leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be
done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by
reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired-action the very
people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the
public relations mission is accomplished.And results like these can come your way. New proposals for
strategic alliances and joint ventures; customers making repeat
purchases; prospects starting to work with you; membership
applications on the rise; capital givers or specifying sources
looking your way, and even bounces in showroom visits.How, you are asking, do such managers produce results
like those?They spend some time figuring out who among their most
important outside audiences behaves in ways that help or
hinder the achievement of their objectives. Then, they list them
according to how severely their behaviors affect their
organization.More to the point, precisely how do most members of your
key outside audiences perceive your organization? If paying
for professional survey counsel isn't in the cards (or in the
budget!), your PR colleagues will have to monitor those
perceptions themselves. Actually, they should be quite
familiar with perception and behavior matters since they're
already in that business.All of which means meeting with members of that outside
audience and asking questions like "Are you familiar with
our services or products?" "Have you ever had contact with
anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory
experience?" And if you are that manager, you must be
sensitive to negative statements, especially evasive or
hesitant replies. And watch carefully for false assumptions,
untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially
damaging rumors. When you find such, they will need to be
corrected, as they inevitably lead to negative behaviors.Big job now is to pick out the actual, offending perception
to be changed, and that becomes your public relations goal.
You obviously want to correct those untruths, inaccuracies,
misconceptions or false assumptions.The toughest part of this exercise is that a PR goal without
a strategy to show you how to get there, will taste like
asparagus with pancake syrup. So, as you select one
of three strategies (especially constructed to create perception
or opinion where there may be none, or change or reinforce it,)
what you want to do is insure that the goal and its strategy
match each other. You wouldn't want to select "change
existing perception" when current perception is just right
suggesting a "reinforce" strategy.Now you must create a compelling message carefully put
together to alter your key target audience's perception, as
specified by your public relations goal.Remember that you can always combine your corrective
message with another news announcement or presentation
which may give it more credibility by reducing the
apparent need for such a correction.The message you convey must be not only compelling, but
quite clear about what perception needs clarification or correction,
and why. Naturally, you must be truthful and your position
logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention
of members of that target audience, and actually move
perception in your direction.It's easy to see why some folks refer to the communications
tactics necessary to move your message to the attention of that
key external audience, as "beasts of burden." After all, they
must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears
of those important outside people.You have a really wide choice because the list of tactics
is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures,
press releases and speeches. Or, you might choose radio
and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours
or customer briefings. There are scores available and the
only selection requirement is that the communications
tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just
like the members of your key target audience.Of course, you can always move things along by adding
more communications tactics, AND by increasing their
frequencies.In short order, you'll hear calls for progress reports. But
you will already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions
among your target audience members to test the
effectiveness of your communications tactics. Using
questions similar to those used during your earlier
monitoring session, you'll now become beady-eyed looking
for signs that audience perceptions are beginning to move
in your general direction.Despite the article's headline, public relations results are
no small matter. In my view, your results will be directly
dependent on whether you base your PR budget primarily
on tactics, or the creation of key stakeholder behavior change
that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives.One can hope it will be the latter.Please feel free to publish this article and resource box
in your ezine, newsletter, offline publication or website.
A copy would be appreciated at bobkelly@TNI.net.Robert A. Kelly Â© 2005.Bob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and
association managers about using the fundamental premise of public
relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR,
Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR,
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communications, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations.Visit: http://www.prcommentary.com; bobkelly@TNI.net
Category : Skin Cancer

A Guide to College Baseball Bats

2008-07-19T12:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Jason Gluckman

In the mid 1850s, when baseball was in its infancy, players made their own bats. They experimented with flat bats, round bats, and heavy bats. They ultimately discovered that the barrel shaped bat was the most effective. Today, college baseball bats have taken this technology to a new, powerful level upon the introduction of aluminum bats in the mid 1970s. Too many wooden bats were being broken, so due to budget crunches suffered by many college athletic programs, collegiate baseball made the switch from wood to aluminum bats. This sparked a debate that rages today.Many purists want to do away with the high tech aluminum/alloy bats and return to the days where they claim hitters had to be much better in order to rack up those high batting averages. On the other hand, a many people believe that the aluminum college baseball bats elevate the game to an exciting level, with more home runs and a faster pace. Colleges still prefer the aluminum bats due to their durability, their cost effectiveness, and their lightweight swinging power.College players can pay as little as $50 for a used bat or up to several hundreds of dollars for ultra-light, specialized alloy bats. College players usually have a good feel for what kind of bat they need. They should consider personal height in relation to the length of the bat, and of course barrel size and weight. One advantage of current college baseball bats is that the batter can capitalize on the inside edge of the strike zone. So when a pitcher is trying to jam the batter, a base hit can be ripped out with a good aluminum bat. College baseball bats are available online, in sporting goods stores, and at used equipment outlets. Always ask the coach for guidance, and test bats for free at a batting cage so that you may more effectively judge the bat?s power and fit before making your selection. Baseball Bats Info provides detailed information on youth, wood, college, senior league, and discount baseball bats, baseball bat reviews and more. Baseball Bats Info is the sister site of Baseball Gloves Web.

Category : Baseball

The Best Article on Stress Management You'll Ever Read

2008-07-19T11:40:00.001-07:00

Author : Pamela Catey

Have you been looking for an article on stress management that could really make a difference in your life? Are you tired of the exhaustion, fatigue and irritability that have now become a way of life for you in how you relate to stress?This article on stress management isnt your usual top 10 list of what to do. Id like you and I to shift our focus and attention on who you are choosing to be that is really fueling what you are doing.I know you are pretty sure that your stress is caused by all external factors, but its really more important to look at how you are relating to what you identify as stress internally. Lets face it, we only have so much control over our external environment and 100% control over our internal one. This maybe a new concept to you, but I assure you its a powerful one if you want to feel the freedom and power that managing stress can provide.Have you ever heard of the concept Be, Do, Have? It can be revolutionary in your life if you havent. Most of us live our lives out of the concept of Do, Have, Be which is extremely stressful because we are trying to do, do, do in order to have what we want so that we can then be how we want to be. This is backwards and futile. I mean really arent you exhausted, fatigued, irritable, and still dont have what you truly want?Shifting your focus away from what you want to have to who you want to be can eliminate a lot of stress and start bringing forth that which you desire. The following exercise can give you a start on this path. Take out a blank piece of paper and draw a vertical line down the middle of it so that you have 2 columns. On the right side column write at the top of it What do I want? Now, make a list of everything you want to have from the most mundane to the most profound. After you have completed that, at the top of the first column write Who would I be being to have what I want? One by one go through the list of what you said you wanted and ask yourself the above question. Write down the answer in the first column. Can you see that you dont have to know what to do if you focus on who you are being? If you focus on who you are being, you will become that and the actions to take will readily be available to you. This eliminates a lot of stress.If you thought this article on stress management was helpful to you, let me know. Pamela Catey is a Best Selling Co-Author, Self Improvement Coach, Musician, and Inspirational Leader. If you are ready to live a life you love or are interested in learning more about stress management, sign up for her Free FunLightenment Newsletter and discover how fun self improvement and personal growth can be at http://www.LightenUpandLive.com

Category : General Self Help

Does My Child Have Migraine? 5 Things To Consider...

2008-07-19T04:00:00.001-07:00

Author :

Does My Child Have Migraine? 5 Things To Consider... &nbsp;by: James CottrillMaybe you have migraine yourself, or someone you know does. You start to wonder if your child is going through the same thing. They might be complaining of headaches, or going through cycles of symptoms that are familiar to migraine sufferers. Here are 5 things to keep in mind as you try to help your child:1. Migraine can strike in childrenMore than half of the adult migraineurs (migraine sufferers) report that they had their first headache as a child. Of children with migraine, it's estimated that about a third get their first attack before the age of 5. We know that children as young as 2 deal with migraine, and possibly even infants, although we still don't understand exactly how infants interact with pain.2. Don't assume your child is just looking for attentionSometimes it's hard to tell if children are really suffering, or if they're trying to get out of something. Some children of migraineurs may simply imitate the behavior that they've seen in a parent. Dr Sarah Cheyette, a pediatric neurologist and a mother herself, suggests that you not focus on the pain but tell your child they will "feel better soon". At the same time, keep a close watch for yourself and try to see the patterns.3. Remember that migraine is different in everyoneWe're all familiar with the headache pain that often goes along with migraine. But sometimes migraine attacks do not involve pain at all. Some people only see flashing lights. There's nausea. Weakness. Pain in different areas, even the abdomen. Watch for overall patterns in your child that may be related. Look for times when their behavior changes. When they're sick to their stomach. It's up to you to watch for symptoms that your child may not even realize are there.It was a long time before I was actually diagnosed with headaches. For a long time I just had a vague idea that I "didn't feel well" at various times, though I couldn't really explain it. Your child may be dealing with something similar. Write down what you observe and share it with your doctor.4. When to contact a doctorContact a doctor right away if there is a sudden change in the headaches your child is experiencing. This is especially important if your child gets any of the following symptoms: stiff neck, fever, dizziness, problems breathing, blurred vision, or headaches that are made worse with exertion. Your doctor can guide you through further observation and testing.5. Learn about the available treatmentsThere's no reason to panic if you think your child may have migraine. Even if you've struggled with migraine for years yourself, treatments for your child may be different and more effective.Don't assume that your medication will work for your child. Many adult drugs have not been tested for children and are not known to be safe. The same goes for natural therapies.However, there are very effective treatments for children. Many common painkillers may be sufficient, as long as they're not taken too often (in many cases twice a week should be the maximum). For many, lifestyle changes can make a huge difference - more exercise, better eating habits, for example. One natural treatment that seems to work very well for children is biofeedback. When it comes to specific migraine drugs, recent trials have found certain doses of Imitrex to be helpful for children.Children with migraine can look forward to treatments that were not even thought of ten years ago, and they live in a world where we have a far better understanding of migraine every year. Migraine does not have to ruin the life of a child, but can be an important challenge that you can help them through.<table width=100% cellpadding=8 cellspacing=0 border=0 bgcolor=#dddddd><tr><td>About The Author James Cottrill is himself a migraineur, and is a health writer at <a href="http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com" target=new>http://www.relieve-migraine-headache.com</a>. He lives with his wife, daughter and son in Canada, under the shadow of the Canadian Rocky Mountains.</td></tr></table>

Category : Hot Rods

Tahiti in Fiction and Film, By David Stanley

2008-07-09T02:00:00.001-07:00

Author : David Stanley

Over the years, Tahiti and Polynesia have provided novelists and moviemakers with colorful subject matter. Early travelers told of wanton women on tropical shores, and Fletcher Christian added drama to the plot by leading a mutiny against the tyrannical Captain Bligh.In 1934 American writers Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall brought out the Bounty Trilogy. This three-part novel deals with Christian's mutiny on the Bounty, the escape of Bligh and his loyal crew members to Dutch Timor, and the colonization of Pitcairn Island by Christian and his fellow mutineers.The novel was an instant bestseller, and director Frank Lloyd soon made it into a movie, Mutiny on the Bounty, starring Charles Laughton and Clark Gable. In keeping with the mood of his time, the mutiny was presented as a simplistic struggle between good and evil, and the film won an Oscar for Best Picture in 1935.A generation later Marlon Brando flew down to Tahiti to star in a blockbuster remake of Mutiny on the Bounty. MGM's 1962 production is still considered the most spectacular film ever made in the South Pacific, in part due to the glorious scenery of Tahiti and Bora Bora. Thousands of Tahitian extras appeared in the film, and Brando married his first lady, Tarita Teriipaia.In 1984, yet another version of The Bounty was released, with Sir Anthony Hopkins as a resolute Bligh and Mel Gibson as an ambiguous Christian. Of the three Bounty films, this is probably the most historically accurate, and it's certainly the one with the greatest psychological depth. It was largely filmed in Moorea's Opunohu Bay.Another Nordhoff and Hall novel, The Hurricane, has been brought to the silver screen twice. John Hall's 1937 film portrays a young couple fleeing a despotic governor. In 1978 Dino de Laurentiis reshot The Hurricane on Bora Bora, with Mia Farrow and Trevor Howard. The resort built to house de Laurentiis' crew still exists as the Sofitel Marara.British novelist W. Somerset Maugham also had close ties to the South Pacific. In 1943 Albert Lewin filmed The Moon and Sixpence, Maugham's fictionalized account of Paul Gauguin's life in Polynesia. The nonconformist painter's incompatibility with French colonial life provided Maugham with a pretext to explore the role of the artist in society. Another famous Maugham story, Rain, set in Samoa, has been made into a movie several times.Other well-known authors who have popularized the legend of Tahiti include Herman Melville, Pierre Loti, Robert Louis Stevenson, Jack London, Rupert Brooke, and James A. Michener. Their stories, plays, and films have helped create the myth of a South Seas paradise. And even today, Tahiti and Polynesia beckon to romantics wishing to live their share of the dream. David Stanley is the author of Moon Handbooks Tahiti. His online travel guide to Tahiti and French Polynesia may be perused at Tahiti and French Polynesia Travel Guide and his Tahiti travel photos are at Pacific Pictures.You have permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, so long as the byline and resource box are included. Please do not use this article without the byline and resource box. Many thanks!

Category : General Art & Entertainment: Movies

Business Satellite Internet Products Compared - 2005

2008-06-19T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Randy Scott
There are a number of options available for Business Class Satellite Internet connectivity in the U.S. today. New offerings seem to launch every week in 2005 and it is becoming a bit confusing for the business owner who can't obtain traditional high speed internet or can't afford the expense of running a T1 line to a location off the beaten path. I've outlined below several options for business with the positive aspects as well as negative where applicable. Each company and heavy individual user has different needs, so no one platform is a "one size fits all". I will outline them and you decide:1. iDirect Platform:This is a proven Enterprise platform which provides a wide range of dependable speeds for most any business, government or heavy use individual. Download speeds from 64 kbps to over 2000 kbps and Upload speeds from 64 kbps to over 1000 kbps are available. The platform supports "shared bandwidth" or guaranteed "QOS" bandwidth at much higher pricing. In the U.S. a 1.2 meter dish is standard.
Equipment Cost: Equipment – A 2 watt system will cost about $2,700 installed. A 4 watt system is about $4,300 installed.
Monthly Service: A minimum circuit is about $250. A typical setup of 1000/256 kbps is $499 per month for a shared bandwidth-no FAP setup. For about $350 per month you can get 2000/500 kbps service with a 3 GB throughput allowance per month. There is a cost of $.09 per MB thereafter. The "shared bandwidth" package is far more predictable with the iDirect platform than with DirecWay or Starband setup's. You can expect to see the advertised speeds 85 % of the time or better.2. Surfbeam Platform:This product is in the process of being introduced in America. Surfbeam uses the same platform basically that a cable or DSL provider would use, except it is satellite internet. It is much less expensive than "Enterprise" grade systems. There is only one provider ready to launch this platform in the U.S. and they should begin shipping equipment by April 1, 2005. In most cases a 1.2 meter dish will be utilized with a 2-3 watt transmitter. Download speeds of 1500 kbps and uploads in excess of 500 kbps are the advertised speeds; however, this hasn't been verified in the field as of this article date.
Equipment Cost: Ranging from $1,295 - $1,995 including installation.
Monthly Service: Ranging from $95 - $400.3. Starband 484 Platform U.S. :This is the "beefed up" version of Starband service designed to attract small businesses and heavy individual users. This is DVB (digital video broadcast) technology which is converted to IP – the conversion process is the problem. It adds to overall latency and even with higher upload speeds than their consumer products (they advertise "up to" 256 kbps in Turbo Max mode- unclear what that really is), they don't support VNP traffic or VOIP connections. Download speeds are listed as up to 20 times faster than dialup…whatever that means. Dish size is 24"x36" and transmitter strength not given.
Equipment Cost: $900 + shipping + installation (price not given)
Monthly Service: $1604. DirecWay Business Plus Service (U.S. only):This is the DirecWay "beefed up" version of service. The only meaningful difference between this platform and the Starband setup above is DirecWay has more experience "massaging" the DVB conversion to IP and possibly more advanced acceleration techniques. They will support some types of VPN and VOIP, but it requires expensive equipment ($2,000+) to be placed at the satellite location and at Headquarters for a VPN circuit- often to the chagrin of the IT department at HQ. Inadequate upload speeds for heavy VPN "chatty" programs still plague this platform.
You can expect download speeds ranging from 800 kbps to 1500 kbps or more. Upload speeds range from 29 kbps to 90 kbps. This system uses a .98 meter dish and 1 watt transmitter.
Equipment Cost: $900 + $375 installation (shipping included)
Monthly Service: $129+5. Ka Band Satellite Internet:When this technology becomes available the summer of 2005, it could literally shake the foundation of the satellite internet world – or not! It is a technology that has been many years and over 1.5 Billion dollars in the making. There will be 30 spot beams aimed at the U.S. and 5 used by uplink centers with the initial satellite (Telesat's Anik F2) which will be operated by Wildblue Communications, a Denver, Co. based company.
It is being targeted to small business operators and consumers in rural areas through a network of rural electric operators (NRTC) initially and through two national distributors as the year progresses. If it works as advertised it will permit telecommuters to successfully VPN into home office much like they would with a cable or DSL connection – except at somewhat slower speeds (due to about 500ms of latency). Still, it has a lot of promise for the small businessman. They will not offer an Enterprise solution for some time- if ever.
With a satellite dish about the size of a trashcan lid (.67 meters) and a two watt transmitter, users will be able to download at speeds up to 1500 kbps and upload at speeds ranging from 128 kbps to 256 kbps.
Equipment Cost: $300-$500 Installation: $ ??
Monthly Service: Three plans with varying download speeds$49 – 500 kbps download speeds$69 – 1000 kbps$79 – 1500 kbps
It is unclear whether the upload speeds shown above will apply to all service levels.At this time, I am recommending that small and medium businesses needing connectivity right away, go with the more proven iDirect platform. You can learn more about it and other offerings at www.vsatus.com

or email sales@vsatus.com .About the Author:Randy Scott is the founder of VSAT U.S., a Colorado based sales and consulting firm which provides VSAT satellite internet platforms to business and heavy individual users throughout the America's and most of the world. Randy has over 10 years experience in the high technology field, both in bi-directional satellite internet and industrial computer hardware as a business owner and Sr. Sales Engineer. You can reach Randy by email: sales@vsatus.com or toll free@ 1-866-978-4613.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:Broadband-Internet

Antique Oriental Rugs: 8 Tips On How To Collect

2008-06-15T23:00:00.001-07:00

Author : John Murray
Antique Oriental rugs have become highly sought after and highly collectable. In fact it is said the antique Oriental rugs are a better investment than investing in the stock market. These 8 tips on how to collect antique oriental rugs will keep you buying smart.1. In the Beginning Don't buyNow I bet your thinking that's a dumb tip if I'm in the market for collecting antique Oriental rugs. That's because in the beginning you have no idea what you are looking for. Take time to learn before you buy.2. Buy BooksBegin by purchasing one or more of the collecting books available. Buy as many as you can afford to buy. They are an invaluable resource when identifying antique oriental rugs and they provide a host of other information on Oriental rugs.3. Use Online ResourcesSupplement those books with online resources. There are many sites offering information on antique Oriental rugs. Do a quick search and you'll have enough sites to keep you busy for quite some time.4. Look at RugsNow that you've gained some general knowledge it's time to start having a look at a variety of antique Oriental rugs. Visit shops that sell them and begin by trying to identify where they're from, their age, and their material type. This process will better prepare you for having the ability to recognize an antique oriental rug that has value.5. SpecializeThere are so many types of antique Oriental rugs that you'll want to specialize in a type that interests you. Which styles of rug do you like the most? Once you've found your favorite begin to collect all the information you can find on that style. You'll very quickly gain skills that will make you a superior buyer. Over time you'll build an amazing collection of antique Oriental rugs.6. Buy An Old RugStart by buying a cheap old worn rug. You can take this rug home and put it through the test. Find out about the textures, weaving process, and everything else you can. Don't spend much on it because you are going to dissect it.7. Start ShoppingNow that you've done some reading, found a style to specialize in and your feeling a little more confident, you can start looking for your first real purchase. Many antique stores, carpet dealer, and auction houses will have antique oriental rugs. Don't forget about what's available online. Have a look around. If you find something that interests you drop the site an email or phone them.8. Check Auction HousesOnce you get a little experience you'll want to check out some of the well known auction houses like Sotheby's or Christies. Once you know what you are looking for there are some great buys to be had purchasing this way.Antique oriental rugs will only go up in value over time. Think of them as an investment into your retirement fund. Following these 8 tips to buying antique Oriental rugs will ensure you make sound investments.John Murray makes it easy to go through the carpet buying process and provides tips to keep your carpet lasting long. To learn more and receive your free mini-course visit the carpet rugs website.
Category : Divorce

CD Printers

2008-06-10T02:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Josh Riverside

When you go to the store and see many, many sophisticated CD printers but cant figure out just how to take out a jammed sheet of paper from the printer, dont buy it. Buy only the CD printer that you can handle on your own, without help. If you need a CD printer to print special paper or forms, take them with you to the store and see if they can be printed on the printers youre checking out. Then, understand all the controls and indicators on the printer before buying it. See that you can reach out to the on/off switch since often these controls are at the back of the machine.If youre considering buying a desktop laser printer, check that it has an engine speed of four to eight pages per minute (ppm). Color inkjets should print one page per minute in color printing, and network color laser printers 12 ppm for monochrome models. No matter what the machine reads as its speed, often printers dont really print to their speed specifications. So, its best you test the machine out with some of your documents rather than use a printers demo page as manufacturers tweak it for speed so youre enticed into buying it. Check the printing costs of printers before buying one. Inkjet printers are usually cheaper by about 25% to 50% but can be expensive in the long run due to the amount of ink it needs and the actual cost of printing a fully graphical page. On the other hand, laser printers not only last longer but need less daily maintenance. CD provides detailed information on CD, CD Duplication, CD Covers, CD Mastering and more. CD is affliated with MP3 Download Software.

Category : General Art & Entertainment: Music

Counselling-Based Communication Skills

2008-06-04T22:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Pedro T Gondim
Counselling incorporates a wide variety of areas that apply to many different environments and situations. Understanding human behaviour and enabling (or improving) communication are essential in interacting positively with others. This view has been increasingly accepted by businesses and organisations, especially in terms of its contribution in improving productivity.There are many benefits of applying counselling-based communication skills and tools in the workplace. These include:1. Enabling a better understanding of why employees behave as they do. This allows identification of those factors that both motivate and inhibit employee behaviour and interaction.2. Allowing the development and implementation of strategies that align employee work behaviours with organisational goals including effective motivational strategies, cross-training programs, a greater emphasis on teambuilding, and developing trusting and predictable relationships with employees.3. Improving communication and essential feedback mechanisms that allow employees to communicate with Managers.4. Earlier identification and addressing of behaviours that are not conducive to workplace productivity and performance such as stress, poor work priority and organisation, and job dissatisfaction.5. Increase in employee loyalty and job satisfaction as staff perceive they are working within a caring and supportive environment.6. Higher employee commitment to organisational goals and job performance with less focus upon wages and pay increases.7. Improved productivity from higher levels of employee job satisfaction, self-esteem and motivation.8. Earlier identification and resolution of employee grievances.9. Reduced levels of workplace conflict, downtime, industrial disputes and workplace stress.10. Increased staff retention and workplace communication.© Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. If you wish to republish or reproduce this article, please include this information in the end of the article. For more information about the Institute – please visit www.aipc.net.au/lz. To access our Article Library, visit www.aipc.net.au/articlesPedro Gondim is a writer and publisher for the Australian Institute of Professional Counsellors. The Institute is Australia's largest counsellor training provider, offering the internationally renowned Diploma of Professional Counselling.
Category : Business:Workplace-Communication

Credit Repair After A Bankruptcy

2008-05-27T12:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Ken Charnley
Even though slow and difficult, it is very possible to experience credit repair after bankruptcy. It is not out of your reach, regardless of what you may think. Immediately after filing for bankruptcy you can begin repairing your credit, all you need is some planning and a little thought.The first thing you should do is try to obtain a credit card or a small loan. Now you are probably thinking this is counterproductive. However, it is a vital issue because you are trying to improve your credit and repair your credit after a bankruptcy. By obtaining a credit card or small loan and keeping it paid every month and on time, as well as keeping within the spending limit, you will slowly begin to repair your credit.Another possibility and really helps in credit repair after a bankruptcy, is how long you have worked with your employer. Many creditors take a look at the amount of time you have spent with your employer. The longer you maintain your job, the better off you are, because you have stability within your financial affairs.If you constantly change jobs, this will make any creditor uncomfortable and be less willing to extend you credit for credit cards or loans. This creates the feeling of an unstable income, therefore, it is important to find a good job and keeping it when trying credit repair after bankruptcy.You should have three major goals when you are trying credit repair:1. Make a commitment to always pay your bills on time. This also means you should be paying, in full, the balance on your credit cards monthly.2. Try to get a savings account and build it. This gives you extra cushion if hard times come your way.3. Create and stick to a manageable budget. If you need ideas and tips about creating a budget, the Internet can help you.Ken Charnley is a personal finance publisher whose website Bankruptcy Loans is dedicated to quality information on Bankruptcy faqs & Loans. For all your Bankruptcy faqs needs visit and Apply for Bankruptcy Loans Online
Category : Finance:Bankruptcy

In Defense of Spam

2008-05-21T03:00:00.001-07:00

Author : George W. Cannata
Maybe I'm a Heretic.I'm not really in favor of spam and I don't like it anymore than the rest of you and I'm sure many of you will disagree with me.However I look at it in the same way I look at TV commercials. If we didn't have them we'd have television like they have in Europe, which is pretty sad.I just don't want the government to get into the act. Let the market place take care of it. Eventually it will sort itself out. For one thing it doesn't work. There are ways to control it with software and by other means.I had an email address that for some reason or other was prone to receiving massive amounts of exceedingly offensive porn. I just abandoned it.Spam is relatively inexpensive or it wouldn't exist. Do you want to charge for the internet to cure it? I don't think so.
But when you get to the bottom of it there is a cost to those who employ it and I think eventually they'll come to realize it and stop it.I just received an email message from someone who wrote a blog objecting to Spam. In it he was touting some software to eliminate spam. Not only was he employing spam, but it was one of those long sales pitches that you have to scroll for five minuites to find out that this software marvel cost $200.00. I not only deleted it, I unsubscribed. Wasn't this Spam.Here's one for the books. I received a solicitation to join a program that was supposed to let you use spam but not have it considered spam. You joined a group who ageed to receive email from you as long as you gave them permission to reciprocate.It's a free program and they were honest enough to tell you up front that you could concievably receive 10,000 email messages at a time. I'll take my spam any day.Meanwhile the best thing to do is make sure you have a good filter and ignore it.Don't answer it or respond to it in any way. I used to report it but stopped even acknowledging that I ever saw it.Do not buy from anyone who indulges in spam.Hit them in the pocket book and eventually they'll go away.Don't ask "Big Brother " to help because you'll then suffer from unintended consequences. Use your freedom BOYCOTT them.Written by: George W. Cannata Author and publisher of the web site:

http://www.caveatemptorus.com You may copy or reprint this article so long as it is not altered in any way, that you retain the link and give full credit to the author.
Category : Business:Spam-Blocker

A Coach's Playbook for Workplace Teams

2008-05-20T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Jim Clemmer
We cheer for our favorite teams in sports, communities, schools and even families. So why don't we see workplace teams in the same rah-rah way?For all the big talk, matching T-shirts and off-site strategy sessions, calling a group of people a team doesn't make it one. These groups are usually just a collection of individuals from the same department who meet periodically.Few of us have been lucky enough to participate in a strong, united team. These groups rise to ever higher levels of performance and make all of us better than any one of us.Laying ground rules, setting goals and dealing with naysayers are just a few of the guidelines that can help your team reach its goals, whether they be improvements in productivity, customer service, quality, process management, innovation, cost effectiveness, job satisfaction, morale or financial performance.Why many groups aren't teamsHere are some of the reasons that many groups aren't effective teams:Lack of focus: If members don't have a shared picture of what success would look like, they will pull against each other. They also should have an emotional commitment to what they're doing.Confusion between team building and team development: Giving everyone a T-shirt may produce short term warm and fuzzy feelings but it rarely leads to a powerful, united team unless root issues are addressed. An example of a root issue might be chronic animosity between managers working with the team.Too much attention on the team itself: Some teams are so busy sailing the ship they have gone off course. They confuse their frantic activity for progress.Lack of priority setting: If everything is urgent, group members will feel overwhelmed.Poor processes: Typical team members often have little training in such basic skills as meetings, conflict resolution, planning, follow up and problem solving. They may not even be aware of them.Misuse of e-mail: It's a great way to share information but a poor way to communicate. Weak groups spend more time interacting with their computer screens than with each other.Victim mentality: Less effective groups that feel powerless will point fingers at senior management, customers, shareholders, suppliers, governments or other departments. Instead of re-setting their sails and navigating through their problems they curse the wind and wait to be dashed upon the rocks.Forming effective teamsWhat does it take to create a high-performing team? Here are a few suggestions:Run meetings well: Meetings are more important than ever in our increasingly complex and interconnected workplaces. Research shows that when meetings are run effectively, teams make better decisions than individuals.Among the basics are establishing an agenda that outlines the meeting's purpose. Are you solving a problem, seeking input or distributing information? Meeting leaders should choose decision-making processes -- among them are command, consultative and consensus -- and time allocated for each agenda item.Later, they should summarize and document actions to be taken, and ensure follow-through. High performing teams also should frequently review and improve their meeting processes.Agree on ground rules: Rules for debating issues, making decisions and resolving conflicts should be clear about unacceptable behavior. Anyone who violates a ground rule is called to account by team members.Focus on the big picture: The old adage says that "it's hard to see the picture when you're inside the frame." Team members build more excitement about the work they are doing if they can see how it plays an important part in a bigger effort. For example, a team working to improve processes in a health-care organization would benefit from learning how their work would benefit patients and caregivers.Ask each team member to imagine the team's ideal future state in a few years from now. Listen to each person's vision, and then summarize the key themes that have emerged. Some groups also use drawings, cutouts of pictures, symbols, metaphors or success stories to paint a picture of what everyone sees in the future.Another variation on this exercise is to imagine that each of you is being interviewed by a prestigious trade publication or major newspaper about your accomplishments. What have you done that is noteworthy? What principles guided your success? Where do most people feel your team has made the biggest difference?Set priorities and review them frequently: Effective teams navigate their way through setbacks, misdirection and negativity that cloud most organizations in mediocrity or low morale. They refuse to be victims of weak senior leadership, cynical colleagues, flawed organizational processes, demanding customers or poor suppliers.One way to counteract naysayers, for instance, is to challenge them with deeper involvement or problem-solving. Don't allow the cynics to set the team's emotional tone.Brainstorm a list of the biggest issues to be addressed by asking for ideas on the "dumbest things we do around here," "biggest barriers to reaching our goals," "major implementation issues we need to address," "pet peeves," "dumb rules and forms" and "things that drive you crazy."Cluster the similar points until there are five to seven major groups.Then divide them into things the team directly controls, can influence, and can't control at all. Prioritize the things you control and make plans to address them. Do the same for things you can influence. Agree on ways to stop fixating on the issues that the team can do nothing about.If senior management does a poor job of setting priorities, the better the team must be at doing this.Team leaders should establish a process to reset goals and priorities as conditions and demands change.Keep highly visible scoreboards, big thermometers (for a fundraising campaign), bulletin boards, Intranet sites, voice-mail messages and newsletters to update everyone on the team's progress.Build around strong members, and balance the team for strengths: Strong teams add people because of their strengths, not for their absence of weakness. To balance a team for strengths, the leader of a well-balanced team might assign a person with strong technical abilities and weak people skills to work alongside another member with weak analytical skills and strong communications abilities.Celebrate and laugh: Strong teams have fun. They care deeply about their work but don't take themselves too seriously. Use humor to diffuse tension or keep things light. You could appoint a Director of Fun, take joke breaks, show humorous video clips or schedule dress-up theme days.Learn to improve: The final component that continues to strengthen a team and take it to higher levels is a strong feedback and learning loop. Effective teams eagerly look at their processes and behaviors to streamline and improve them. Team members should regularly reflect on what they should keep doing, stop doing, and start doing for continuous improvement.------------Team ground rulesEvery team should have ground rules. Here are a few:Start meetings on time, with all the right participants present.Focus on the problem, issue or behavior -- not people. No one should make personal put-downs and judgmental statements about others. If you have an issue with another team member, talk to him or her privately and resolve it.When discussions involve some but not all participants, encourage them to discuss the issue at another time.Don't cut each other off, finish another person's sentence or engage in side conversations.Practice "cabinet solidarity" by keeping disagreements and debates inside the meeting room. Don't continue them elsewhere.Don't discuss sensitive or emotional issues by e-mail. Talk to each other instead.Look for opportunities to celebrate the team's successes.Encourage team members to vent frustrations but avoid blaming, whining and wishing for the past. Focus discussions on the present and future.Originally appeared in Jim's column in The Globe & Mail. Jim Clemmer is a bestselling author and internationally acclaimed keynote speaker, workshop/retreat leader, and management team developer on leadership, change, customer focus, culture, teams, and personal growth. During the last 25 years he has delivered over two thousand customized keynote presentations, workshops, and retreats. Jim's five international bestselling books include The VIP Strategy, Firing on All Cylinders, Pathways to Performance, Growing the Distance, and The Leader's Digest. His web site is http://www.clemmer.net/articles.
Category : Business:Team-Building

How To Deal With Your Prospect's Objections In Your Web Copy

2008-05-18T13:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Bruce Carlson

Copyright (c) 2006 by Bruce CarlsonOne of the more difficult things for inexperienced copywritersseems to be how to deal with possible objections that a prospectmight have about a product or service.It can be hard to make the leap into your prospect's mind like that...And so, the objections sometimes just don't get dealt with in the copy. Which means you lose sales.In this short article, I'd like to show you a simple technique for dealing with your prospect's objections. Using this method will clear the way for you to start making a lot more sales with your Web copy.1. Make A Nice Big ListBefore you even begin to write your copy (including your headline or lead copy or bullets), sit down and write out a list of ALL thepossible objections your prospect could have about the product or service you're pitching.Every single one of them...and then some.Get silly about it. Come up with far-fetched and off-the-wall objections. Brainstorm like crazy. Get your friends and family involved. Turn it into a game. The more outside help you can bring in the better.You see, it's really easy to develop a kind of "tunnel vision" whenyou're writing, especially when it's your own product you're dealing with. This means you lose your objectivity. And when you lose your objectivity, you lose sight of your prospect's core emotions.Which can cause you to lose sight of the real reason they want your product.So start by making an exhaustive list. And do your best to get outside ofyourself and become more objective. Bringing in outside help will makethis easier.2. Prioritize Your ListOnce you have an exhaustive list, you'll need to take a look at which ofyour prospect's objections carry the most weight. The weightier objectionsshould be at the top of your list, with minor and less vital ones below them.An example of a heavy-duty objection might be that it's too expensive, especially if your product or service costs substantially more than your competitors' versions. You'll have to come up with a pretty strong argument about value, and show some clear examples of what they get when they buy, in order to deal with this one. Another weighty example might be the believability factor. Particularly if you don't have testimonials clearly interspersed in your copy or else overflowing on a separate page with a clear link to them. As far as lesser objections go, depending on what your product or service is, you might be faced with things like the fact that your service isn't delivered on-site, or that your packaging isn't "hot" Madison Avenue style or that your color selection isn't wide enough.Keep your list at hand the entire time you're writing your sales copy. Refer to it often, and see if you can come up with a way to either directly or indirectly address each and every objection on your list, starting with the most important ones.3. The "FAQ Approach"If you can smoothly and effortlessly answer your prospect's objections within your sales pitch, then more power to you. But those major objections I mentioned above sometimes require a little extra fire power in order to be laid to rest.One way that's very effective for really singling out specific objections, and which some very good Web copywriters (Lorrie Morgen-Ferrero, Paul Myers, and Charlie Page come to mind) use well, is what I call the "FAQ approach". This is where you put your prospect's possible objections in the form of a question right smack dab in the middle of the copy (But Can't I Get It Cheaper At Wal-Mart?). You then follow up with your answer right there (Yes, you can, but you won't get the hand-stitched quality, the designer fashion look, and the 1-year guarantee). How you present them is up to you. Different copywriters have different styles. I like to list the questions as separate sub-headlines, especially if they're really heavy, followedby the answer. If they're not quite so heavy, I'll just use bold-faced type for them within the body of the copy followed by my reply. If you want, you can even use an actual FAQ section right in your sales letter and it works very nicely.**Take Your Prospect By The Hand And Lead Them To The Sale**Remember, your prospect needs to be taken by the hand and led carefully through your pitch and onto the sale.By being clear and keeping things simple concerning their objections, you have a much better chance of leading them down that rosy path to the order form. By dealing straightforwardly and effectively with every possible objection they might have, you reassure them. Which builds trust. And which, in turn, leads to more sales.So try out my advice the next time you write sales copy for your Website. Make a prioritized listand deal clearly with each objection, using the FAQ approach. You'll see better numbers for yourefforts. Web writing coach Bruce Carlson would like tohelp you build your Web business with the right words.Sign up for his free Dynamic Copywriting tips athttp://www.dynamic-copywriting.com/news

Category : General Copywriting

Appliques - Is it Embroidery or is it Quilting?

2008-05-17T23:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Bryce G Werllington

ap?pli?qu? n. Sewing one material onto another as a means of decoration or ornamentation.While ancient in origin, currently appliques can refer to any type of pattern transfer or application of decoration used in a wide range of mediums. Historically the term applique applied to material-to-material techniques. One of the earliest known pieces was a sail composed of gazelle leather and constructed by both patchwork and applique for the temple of King Sahure in the Fourth Dynasty (2575-2465 B.C.).Embroidery appliques are generally seen as trim or image designs as opposed to embroidery like monograms or logos. Appliques are commonly used to decorate household linens such as bedding, towels and napkins or apparel, particularly children?s wear and caps. Appliques are also frequently used to decorate wedding gowns, veils, trains, ring bearer pillows and other bridal accessories.Iron-on appliques have gained large popularity, as they are a cheap, fast and easy way to personalize apparel. The most commonly used item to add iron-on appliques to are t-shirts. There are companies that will turn nearly any design into an iron-on applique which appeals to today younger generation looking for ways to individualize and personalize in an age where everything is mass manufactured.Quilting appliques have been popular long through out history. In fact, appliques are still very popular in the quilting world. Quilting appliques are generally done as quilting blocks. Patterns can be anything from popular cartoon images to traditional floral designs. Bryce G Werllington is a market researcher for Safewebhost.net. Safewebhost.net is a website design and search engine optimization firm based in Edmonton, Alberta. Bryce has been researching and writing content for Central Sewing, a client of Safewebhost.net.

Category : Work at Home Moms

How Much Is Too Little?

2008-05-15T07:01:00.001-07:00

Author : Theresa Cahill
As a publisher and ezine co-op owner, I've been studying
ezines and co-ops for some time now, and I've arrived at
the following conclusion:How much IS too little?This morning a well-known internet marketer's ezine
was brought to my attention. The ezine is a small one-page
affair with an excellent marketing tip. Attractively
arranged online, he has strategically placed top, middle,
and bottom sponsor ads. His mailing goes out to 150,000+
subscribers who are emailed every other week.Out of curiousity, I clicked through to his advertising
rates, and here's what I found:Top Sponsor ad:
Total Price: $675.00Middle Sponsor ad:
Total Price: $675.00Directly above the weekly feature article:
Total Price: $360.00Bottom Sponsor ad:
Total Price: $360.00There is no option for a solo ad.Now you might be saying, "Wow! There's no way in the
world I can afford that!" or "Yikes! How could I even dream
of charging that much?!"The answer is quality content and a heavy dose of personal
name branding.This marketer's ezine is looked for in inboxes. People wait
to hear his next bit of advice, the next tip, trick, idea,
resource, or product. He tells his readers what works,
they try it for themselves and agree, and they look forward
to his next publication, eager to stay ahead of the pack.So imagine placing an ad in an ezine that well read, that
sought after...Who wouldn't want to advertise inside such a publication
if they can afford to?Okay, now let's bring this a bit closer to home for the
majority of us with more limited funds.First off, many growing ezines accept free ads and paid ads
from outside sources. It's a good marketing practice in
order to grow one's list to the size of this example or head
quickly in that direction before it's no longer necessary.We "handle" this additional advertising in various fashions,
some by designated areas inside the ezine and others send
out additional classified mailings.So, what IS a fair market value for an average-sized ezine?Using the only algebraic formula I walked away with from
high school, and the prices in the above example, an ezine
with a subscriber base of 5,000 subscribers could easily
charge:$22.50 for a top sponsor ad
$22.50 for a middle sponsor ad
$12.00 for an ad above their featured article
$12.00 for the bottom sponsor ad.The key to being able to set these prices?
An ezine's originality, heart, and quality content!A looked-for ezine is a valuable ezine - for it's readers
and advertisers alike. The entrepreneur above knows
that well enough! And so do his advertisers...And the solo ad?Though the gentleman above declines solos, this form
of advertising is wide spread on the net. It has become
a mainstay for many publishers, and much sought after
by advertisers.My personal advice?An ezine's solo mailing needs to stand out from the rest
to justify ANY cost.I'm a firm believer that the solo ad should be pricey
because I also believe most of us are tired of reading
the $5 wonder solo ads.I believe an ezine and an ezine co-op should price
the solo ad high enough to make the average advertiser
stop and think can they really afford it, and, if so,
to ask themselves, "Is this program or product really
worth the extra expense?"I believe it is our responsibility to do this.Veteran publishers, subscribers, and advertisers
have been on the net long enough to have already
gone through the "school of hard knocks," or with
any luck at least be coming out the other side :)We've spent money and time and resources on the
fly by night programs that abound on the web.
We already know what it's like to be taken to the
cleaners...I believe it is our responsibility to help those new
to all these "sc^am in a box" offers avoid the errors
we've already made whenever possible.As publishers, we need to provide what we set out
to provide - quality content, worthwhile information,
and help.As subscribers, we need to provide feedback to our
ezines - also offering our wisdom and insight for
the benefit of others.As advertisers, we need to figure out what's worth
advertising and what isn't - and turn a profit by
being selective.By working together, we can all ensure the intrinsic
value of the ezine - now and for many years to come.Let the FFAs have the rest...© Theresa Cahill - All Rights Reserved. Feel free to distribute this article. Please keep it intact and with the resource box included below.ABOUT THE AUTHOR:Theresa Cahill, a two decade veteran of marketing, is the owner of http://www.mywizardads.com and invites you to take a look at the services of MWA and download fr.ee helpful information and more at http://www.mywizardads.com/sitemap.html
Category : Business:Ezine-Publishing

Does Your Life Seem Out of Control? Are You Stuck in Dealing with Divorce?

2008-05-12T02:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Amy Barnes
You either keep constantly busy or you do nothing or find yourself fluctuating between these two extremes. Life holds little meaning and there may seem no way out. If you have felt this way before and do so no longer: Congratulations! If you have never felt like this before I hope you never will. Perhaps you have a friend who feels like this. For those of you who feel stuck in this place, I wish to offer hope that life does not have to continue to feel like this.Have you recently experienced the break up of a marriage or a serious relationship, the death of a loved one, or loss of a job? Each can leave you feeling out of control and not in charge of your life. You may feel numb, or angry or sad or scared or even relieved; or a combination of all these feelings at the same time. You may not feel valued, heard or respected. How do you treat yourself? You are worthy of respect, of being heard, of being valued and yes, of being loved. You may have had a recent situation that has temporarily left you feeling discouraged or you may feel deep down that you are not worthy of love or respect by others or by yourself. As a therapist I often see individuals who don't feel good about themselves. My job as a therapist is to create a safe place for these individuals to be heard and to feel valued and respected. I enjoy helping people feel empowered and in control of their lives.Letting go and moving on is rough but quite possible. Allowing yourself to feel and deal with those unpleasant feelings is a necessary part of healing. Perhaps the hardest part of healing is to treat yourself as you wish others to treat you – to love yourself. Would you treat yourself differently if you really cared about and loved yourself? Would you take better care of your body, your mind, and your spiritual life? Each day allow yourself to play, to laugh and to be with friends. Each day becomes a balance of both taking care of yourself and being there for others. Have you ever tried to pour lemonade out of an empty pitcher? Just like the empty pitcher, if you do not fill yourself by taking care of you; you have nothing to give others.You don't need to stay stuck in this place. Talk with friends, join a divorce recovery or grief group if appropriate, or talk with a therapist. Get some help. You are worth it! You are worthy of being loved, of having a wonderful life. Life can be better.Copyright 2006Barnes' diverse background includes a seminary degree in Marriage and Family Therapy and Pastoral Counseling and a license as a Mental Health Counselor providing a foundation for her extensive experience and training in marriage counseling.Barnes has taught divorce recovery programs for six years and has written numerous articles on relationships and divorce as well as given a variety of talks and led workshops on divorce and relationships.With a focus is on relationships, both personal and professional, Ms. Barnes is considered a gentle, compassionate listener who assists individuals, couples and families in finding practical solutions. She helps people develop their own strengths and find greater possibilities and options for their lives. For more information go to: http://www.lifeoptions.us
Category : News-and-Society:Divorce

International Shipping/Freight for Dummies

2008-04-28T20:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Paul Buisson
There are lots of benefits for some businesses to import or export goods. Manufacturers and distributors can order directly from the overseas manufacturer and save money on their purchases. They can also market their goods to the world instead of just the USA. There is a demand for American products in many parts of the world, but smaller American companies donâ™t think they have the connections to offer their goods internationally. I recommend using freight forwarders instead of carriers because a good freight forwarder will shop several carriers to get you the best rate. With the right freight forwarder importing and exporting is as easy as sending a package via UPS.First I will tell you what information you need to get a complete and accurate international freight quote. Then I will tell you how to insure that the quote you are given matches the dollar amount on your freight invoice. To get a freight quote you need to provide: your billing address, the origin zip code/city, origin country, the destination zip code/city, destination country, method of transport (usually ocean freight or air cargo), destination and origin details (door to door, door to port, port to door or port to port), residential or business origin/destination, if a lift gate is needed at the origin or destination, a description of the contents, Length, height and width of each pallet or box (unless you are shipping an entire ocean container), and the amount of insurance coverage if needed. This information will get you an accurate freight quote. If you accept the quote an agent of the freight forwarder will get the remaining details from you.Follow these tips to protect yourself from misleading quotes. Make sure the quote is confirmed by a FAX/email. Verify that the fuel charge, customs clearance fees, customs brokerage fees, and trucking fees (if applicable), insurance (if applicable), and transit time are included in the quote. The destination location usually pays the duties and taxes to their government. If you are new to importing or exporting you can go to www. shipandfreigt.com or phone Paul Buisson at 985-727-2992 for free advise.Paul Buisson has been helping small businesses import and export for over three years. He specializes in helping start-up businesses and businesses that donâ™t know anything about international freight. Recently he helped a small business with one employee win the bid for a large military contract shipping items to Iraq.
Category : Coffee

Howard Hughes 1939 Boeing 307 Stratoliner Converted into Private Yacht Discovered by Jimmy Buffett in Song and Novel Listed on Ebay for $9,000,000.00

2008-04-26T13:00:00.001-07:00

Author :

As mentioned in The Aviator with Leonardo DiCaprio, this was the first commercially built pressurized airplane that was designed to fly above the weather, or 20.000 feet, that was the reason for Howard Hughes purchasing TWA in 1939. This plane was one of ten built and only one of two still in existence. The other surviving 307 Stratoliner is owned by the National Air and Space Museum at the new Dulles Udvar-Hazy Annex. In 1964 due to damage from Hurricane Cleo in Fort Lauderdale the surviving Hughes 307 fuselage was saved and modified into a 56 yacht and launched in 1974. In 1992, while cruising around Fort Lauderdale, Jimmy Buffett discovered the Plane Boat and wrote her into his best- selling novel Where is Joe Merchant? He later composed Desdemonas Building a Rocketship, from the Banana Wind CD also about the vessel. This is the only land-based airplane turned yacht in the world and now functions as a personal yacht for David Drimmer and Aaron Kiss, owners of Photo Sails, a new and worldwide patented advertising medium featured at Photosails.com . Now this fully functional yacht is operated using the original 1939 aircraft controls that used to fly the plane. Powered by twin Yamaha 50 HP four-stroke, high-thrust motors and capable of cruising at 13 knots, this extremely maneuverable vessel can turn 360 degrees in its own length. Teak and holly wooden floors now adorn the entire sole of the vessel and its newly rebuilt hull is in perfect shape. A generator and new electronics along with original Raymond Loewy designed furniture and fittings are featured in the salon next to the original bar that Rita Hayworth had custom windows installed so she could see the clouds go by while she poured martinis for many famous guests like Hedda Hopper and George Jessel. Countless media outlets, including People, Oprah, Ripleys, ABC, CBS, NBC, CNN, Travel, Discovery, HGTV channels, have enjoyed the privilege of exposing the now named Cosmic Muffin, the name chosen by Jimmy Buffett and remains the name of the craft today. For more information, please visit Planeboats.com or Ebay.com.

Category : General Psychology

QueenAlice - The Site for Casual Chess on the Web (A Review)

2008-04-25T00:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Timothy Trimble
I've been playing chess since I was 15 years old. I was in the Chess Club in school. And I remember the big media blitz on chess during the Boris Spasky versus Bobby Fisher matches. Whew! That was a long time ago. But I'm still a big chess player. As such, I'm always on the lookout for a good internet based chess client where I can hang my chess hat. In my initial search I tried many different sites. I even paid for membership on one of the sites for awhile. But then I came across www.queenalice.com!
QueenAlice is a web based chess site that provides correspondence chess playing in a very laid back and non-intimidating environment. What attracted me to QueenAlice was the need to be able to play some chess with some of my remote friends, by making moves when I had the time. Which is where QueenAlice shines! When a player makes a move, QueenAlice will send an email to the opponent, letting them know that it's their turn to move. Moves can be spread out for up to 14 days per move or up to 90 days per game. The email message contains a layout of the board and a history of the game moves.One of the features that I use the most on QueenAlice is called the "Think" gear. When you click on this, you can move pieces around the board and try out different move combinations, without affecting the actual game. Then when you're done trying out your "what if" positions, you click on the gear again and go back to the original board setup.
Currently there are just a little over 600 players, from all around the world. There is support for multiple languages and players can contribute to new translations if their language is not currently supported.
Players can play rated or nonrated games. Ratings are provisional during the first 25 games, and then the player gets an "established" rating. The rating calculations are posted on the site for review. There are also ongoing Round Robin and Swiss System tournaments.The ART of Software Development in QueenAlice is in the feel of the site and the dedication of the author Miguel. The theme of the site is taken from the book "Through the Looking Glass" by Lewis Carroll. The site itself is very easy to use and does not promote the "pretentious" attitude found on many chess sites. It's the perfect place to go for a "casual" game of chess. Miguel has done an excellent job of putting the site together. He's always avalable to listen to comments and recommendations made by the users. Much of the feel and functionality of the site is due to comments from the players. There is an active forum on the site where players can discuss chess tatics, site functionality, or just life in general topics. I have found QueenAlice to be an excellent location for playing chess with many of my friends who are not computer or internet experts. It's very easy to register and begin playing without having to jump through a lot of techical configuration hoops. And the site is currently free to use. It has been during the past few years that I've been using it. There is a minimal amount of advertising on the site, but it does not get in the way of playing or using the site.Now if you're looking for high end chess discussions with international chess masters and advocates, then you'll be happier on other sites like The World Chess Network, The Red Hot Pawn, or The Internet Chess Club. If you want a casual game of chess, with some very friendly folks, on a very easy to use site, then QueenAlice is THE place to go. Now if they could just figure out how to serve expresso with each game. Check it out at www.queenalice.comTimothy Trimble, The ART of Software DevelopmentTimothy Trimble is a award winning, freelance writer, and software developer. He has written a book for Microsoft Press, articles for significant computer industry trade magazines, and is currently working on his second computer technology book to be published in early 2006. He is the Blog publisher of The ART of Software Development which can be found via his web site at http://www.timothytrimble.infoProud member of http://www.WordBrains.com
Category : Weight Loss

How to Avoid Someone Stealing Your Customers

2008-04-23T15:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Graham Jones
Your potential customers are being stolen from you every day. They are going to the competition, rather than choosing you. Your business is haemorrhaging money as a result and you need to put a stop to this dreadful situation. Well, OK, it might not be that bad, but unless you own 100% of the market you are in, your competitors are doing something you are not.Online, you can find out why your competitors are beating you quite easily. Your competition is the group of businesses who appear above you in a search engine listing for your keywords. You might not think they are your competitors, but the users of the search engines do. That's because almost all the clicks from search engines go to sites listed in the first five positions. If you are below that, you are losing out to the competition.Now, search engine optimisation experts will tell you how to get into the top 5 places. It is actually quite simple - have plenty of highly focused content on your site, add material every day and have plenty of links to other relevant sites. You also need to get mentioned on other sites, like Ecademy. Getting high search engine rankings is the easy bit.The difficulty you face when losing out to competitors is how their sites convert prospects into customers. It's never a good idea to be too general about these things, but what you will find is that those people whose web sites work better than yours tend to offer a mix of the following aspects which help the conversion process.1. They collect the email address of visitors - it's the number one priority.2. They keep in regular touch with their site visitors and make it clear they will do this.3. They make it easy for prospects to get in touch - email, phone, fax, postal address, instant messenger etc.4. They provide plenty of free information - material that other sites protect because it is seen as intellectual property.5. They 'talk' directly to the viewer as an individual.6. They have a single focus, which is precisely on the solution to the prospect's problem.Depending on your sector, other things may be important too. So, you ought to check out the top ten web sites in each of your keyword search terms. Look at their sites and see how they are achieving their results. Learn from their successful methods and apply them to your web site.You will discover that the sites that get high search engine ranking AND which get the best conversion rates are usually devoted to a single topic. So instead of having one web site which deals with all of your business, the greatest success comes from having individual web sites devoted to the specific problems your prospects face. Hard work, I know, but the results will tell.Graham Jones helps people make the most of the Internet and helps them with information marketing.
Category : Mortgage

VW Polo BlueMotion at 2007 ECHO Awards

2008-04-22T18:00:00.001-07:00

Author : mbs5000

About 50 VW Polo BlueMotion models will dominate this year's ECHO awards, one of the most prestigious music awards in Germany given by an association of recording companies called the Deutsche Phono-Akademie. During the awarding ceremony that will take place at the German capital city of Berlin, the VW Polo BlueMotion will function as the shuttle service for some of the local and international music artists, as well as guest visitors at the awarding ceremony. They will step on the VW floor mats and drive up to the red carpet aboard the VW Polo BlueMotion. This a way for the Wolfsburg-based car manufacturer to promote the advantages and the environmental attributes of the VW Polo BlueMotion including low fuel consumption and cleaner exhaust emissions. Moreover, the VW Polo BlueMotion also symbolizes environmental protection. Stephan Grhsem, Head of Communications at Volkswagen AG said: "We are confident that national and international guests at the ECHO award ceremony will welcome the opportunity to experience the advantages of the VW Polo BlueMotion dynamics, low average fuel consumption and low emissions."Gerd Gebhardt, Executive Producer of ECHO 2007, added: "We are 100% behind this exemplary action. After all, the future belongs to economical and environmentally-friendly cars!"The VW Polo BlueMotion will show off its fuel efficient and low fuel consumption powertrain components under its sleek hood including the 1.4-liter 3-cylinder TDI engine capable of delivering 80 horsepower (59 kW) at 4,000 rpm and produces 144 lb.-ft. (195 Nm) amount of peak torque at 1,800 rpm, coupled with a 5-speed manual gearbox. With this powertrain package, the VW Polo BlueMotion can accelerate from zero to 62 mph in 12.8 seconds and can reach an a top speed of 109 mph.The engine also feature some of the advanced powertrain systems like diesel particulate filter, exhaust gas turbo charger, improved Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR), EGR cooler, electrically activated EGR valve, and oxidizing catalytic converter to further reduce harmful CO2 exhaust emissions. This allows the VW Polo BlueMotion to comply with the most stringent EURO 4 emissions standard. The VW Polo BlueMotion also offers fuel efficiency for its customers. According to Volkswagen, The VW Polo BlueMotion has a low consumption of only 3.9 liters of fuel per 62 miles (100 km) of driving distance. Along with the VW Polo BlueMotion, Volkswagen AG will also make the 2007 ECHO music awards as the stage for the world premiere of the exclusive Sound Foundation Polo "First Act" model. Based on the VW Polo model and created by Volkswagen Individual, the Sound Foundation Polo "First Act" fits the driving characteristics and interest of music lovers. The car is equipped with a guitar audio jack under the glove compartment capable of producing 70 watts of sound. Benjamin Hudson works as a supervisor at one of the top engineering firms in the business district of Louisiana. He is also a freelance journalist and has passion for anything automotive.

Category : VW

Equipment Leasing Blunders That Can Cost Your Firm a Mint

2008-04-21T07:00:00.001-07:00

Author : George Parker
Rod McHenry, the financial vice president of a document imaging company, thought he had great cause for celebrating. He had signed an unbelievable $370,000 lease proposal covering computer servers, workstations, software and other networking equipment. McHenry believed he had snared an incredible lease rate, capping off weeks of negotiating an acceptable equipment price with the equipment vendor. The proposal guaranteed a lease closing and offered a return of the 2% 'commitment fee' paid by McHenry's company if the leasing company failed to give credit approval within two weeks. Little did McHenry know that signing this proposal would lead his company into the 'Twilight Zone' of equipment leasing. Ultimately, his firm would fork out more than $15,000 in legal fees seeking lessor performance, only to learn that the lessor was already insolvent and mired in several similar lawsuits.Like McHenry's employer, thousands of U.S. companies lease equipment each year, many of them without careful attention to potential blunders. Rod McHenry became victim to one possible pitfall, but there are several areas deserving careful attention.Falling For the Lowest RateOne potential pot-hole facing many would-be lessees is basing their lease decision solely on the lowest monthly payment. Even on the face of it, making a decision based on the monthly payment makes little sense. First, these amounts give only a partial picture of total lease pricing. An accurate discounting of cash flows using a present value analysis, including up-front lease payments, monthly payments, security deposits and fees can often change the outcome of the lowest lease bid. Making sure that each lease proposal is reduced to a present value calculation guarantees that you will be comparing apples to apples. Even if you make accurate price comparisons, pricing all by itself fails to consider several important factors – ones that might save you a bundle in the long run and keep your firm from blundering. To avoid pitfalls in this area, list and evaluate your top priorities for a leasing arrangement. Consider factors such as: choosing the right leasing partner, balance sheet considerations, tax considerations, choosing the right form of lease, avoiding severe lease terms, and getting enough lease flexibility.Failing to Check Lessors' References and Financial ConditionAs Rod McHenry discovered, perhaps the area with the greatest potential for a misstep is lessor selection. Failing to investigate and make a wise choice of leasing partner can result in transaction delay, misrepresentations, nonperformance, unexpected fees or even fraud. Like many industries, equipment leasing encompasses many players with varying degrees of experience, specialization, integrity and financial strength. In selecting the best leasing partner, get sufficient information from bidders to perform an effective reference check. If possible, also obtain financial information from bidding lessors to evaluate their financial condition. Obtain Dunn and Bradstreet reports on each bidder. Ask for and check customer, vendor, bank and trade references. Perform an Internet news and message board search to make sure the bidding lessors are not the subject of any unresolved problems or scandals. Most reputable lessors belong to one of the major equipment leasing trade associations (ELA, EAEL, UAEL, or NAELB). Call the appropriate association for a reference. Lastly, ask around. Check with your attorney, accounting firm, banker, friends and associates who are able to make recommendations based on past experiences.Not Fully Understanding the Lease AgreementFailing to read and understand the major terms and conditions of the equipment lease can cost your company a bundle. While most lease agreements include similar terms and conditions, there can be noticeable differences. For example, most agreements cover the lessee's responsibility to pack the equipment and ship it to the lessor at the end of the lease, if the lessee chooses to return the equipment. Some leases require the lessee to have this done by the last day of the lease, perhaps depriving the lessee of a week or more of use. Also, some agreements require the lessee to pay for equipment de-installation, packing and shipping to any destination within the US, which can be costly. You can save money by negotiating many of these points. Read the lease agreement thoroughly, get legal advice if necessary, and negotiate points that can save you money.Making the Wrong Choice Between Fair Market Value and Bargain Purchase LeasesHigh on the list of potential leasing blunders is choosing the wrong form of lease for your planned use of the equipment. Failure to choose wisely can result in significant additional lease expense. Equipment leases fall into two broad categories: 1) leases designed to pass ownership of the equipment to the lessee at the end of the lease (bargain purchase/capital leases) and 2) leases intended to allow the leasing company to retain ownership of the equipment (FMV or operating leases).If you plan to keep the equipment beyond the term of the lease, it is generally cheaper to enter into a bargain purchase/capital lease. During the lease, you pay the lessor a rate of return plus the cost of the equipment. At the end of the lease, you receive the equipment title for a nominal payment. If the equipment is subject to rapid obsolescence or if you feel confident that you will return the equipment at the end of the lease, a FMV or operating lease might prove advantageous. What you are getting in a FMV or operating lease is the flexibility to kick the equipment out at lease end. Additionally, this form of lease can lower your lease rate as the lessor passes a portion of the anticipated residual value back to your firm in the form of lower payments. If your firm has reason to minimize liabilities appearing on the balance sheet, perhaps due to bank financial covenants, an operating lease might be appealing. In these lease situations, balance sheet concerns may trump the desire to obtain the lowest lease rate. In choosing a lease form, look at the period of intended equipment use, the potential for equipment obsolescence, balance sheet considerations, income tax considerations and any other factors that might influence lease choice.Failing to Evaluate Vendor Service - Equipment Lease ArrangementsEntering into a 'hell or high water' equipment lease involving proprietary equipment required for a multi-year service (such as alternative energy or telephone services) can lead your firm into a situation ripe for blunder. Even under the best of circumstances, a 'hell or high water' equipment lease (one requiring non-cancelable payments) entered into in connection with a service arrangement carries a certain degree of risk. In many cases, the lease is provided by a leasing company independent from the service provider or later sold by the service provider to a lessor. The potential pitfall results from the possibility that your company might get stuck making lease payments for equipment it can no longer use, should the service provider fail or cease to offer the service. The best protection against this potential pitfall is to avoid these types of arrangements. If you must enter into such an arrangement, make sure the service provider is financially sound, reputable, and has a long track record of providing excellent service. Also, since these transactions always carry some risk, make sure that an abrupt interruption in the service will not have a material negative impact on your company or cause financial hardship.Ignoring End-of-lease Notice DeadlineWhile not a deadly blunder, failing to give timely notice at the end of your lease can create significant additional lease expense for your firm if you plan to return the equipment. Many leases have provisions that require the lessee to notify the lessor of the lessee's decision to return the equipment at the end of the lease. If you violate the notice period, the lease kicks into an often unfavorable automatic renewal period, usually one to six months. If you intend to return the equipment at lease end, make sure your firm gives notice on time. It can save your firm a bundle in avoidable lease expense.Underestimating Time Required to Close LeaseNot allowing enough time to go through the lease planning, proposal, approval and documentation phases can result in extra cost. A rushed process can lead to poor lessor selection, approval delays, documentation miscues or poorly negotiated lease terms. Except in small ticket transactions (under $ 75,000 to $ 100,000) where personal guarantees of the principals are involved, most lease transactions take at least three weeks or more to close. While some of the time is consumed in the bidding and credit review processes, much of it can be eaten up by administrative matters. Obtaining insurance certificates, filing UCC financing statements, reviewing and negotiating the lease agreement, all contribute to the time it takes to get to a lease closing. The best way to manage the lease closing process and to save precious time and money is to plan ahead. Make sure you establish criteria for the lease you are seeking, prepare a package containing information all bidders would want, obtain a lease closing list from each lease bidder, and respond to all requests/questions raised by bidding lessors on a timely basis.While equipment leasing pitfalls can not always be avoided, you can take steps to prevent snags that can cost your firm a mint. Plan ahead and do your homework before launching the lease bidding process. Give high priority to selecting an experienced lease provider with high integrity and good expertise. Also, with lease transactions that represent significant obligations for your firm, engage a competent attorney to help you review and negotiate the equipment lease.George Parker is a Director and Executive Vice President of Leasing Technologies International, Inc. ("LTI"), responsible for LTI's marketing and financing efforts. A co-founder of LTI, Mr. Parker has been involved in secured lending and equipment financing for over twenty years. Mr. Parker is an industry leader, frequent panelist and author of several articles pertaining to equipment financing.Headquartered in Wilton, CT, LTI is a leasing firm specializing nationally in direct equipment financing and vendor leasing programs for emerging growth and later-stage, venture capital backed companies. More information about LTI is available at: http://www.ltileasing.com .
Category : Finance:Leases-Leasing

Voice Mail Prospecting - Most Salespeople Leave The Wrong Kinds of Messages

2008-04-20T23:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Dan O'Day
Do you routinely achieve a 65% - 85% callback rate on the
voice mail messages you leave for prospects?You can. But first you have to ignore the "conventional
wisdom" being taught by sales trainers who never actually
cold-call or by business consultants who teach rather than
do.In the course of my *research for my book, How To Get
Your Voice Mail Messages Returned
(http://www.VoiceMailReturned.com), I came across a
presentation that some consultant gave on this topic. Like a
lot of consultants, she didn't base her techniques on
real-world experiences. Instead, she based it on a book she
read.(*The techniques I teach are based on field
research. But I also was interested in what other people had
to say about this topic.)She teaches what you might call a "blueprint" of a
standardized script you should follow when leaving cold-call
voice mail messages.Without violating anyone's copyright -- and while
representing the "blueprint" as accurately as possible -- I
will now share with you an example of a voice mail
message that follows the principles apparently taught in the
book she read.If you prefer to use a traditional approach to voice mail, you
can copy this example.Personally, I hope you won't follow this blueprint,
because of the three underlying precepts I teach regarding
voice mail messages:1. The only goal of a voice mail message is to get the
call returned (or, ultimately to result in a live
conversation).2. Most voice mail messages left by salespeople are not
returned.3. Therefore, the methods commonly employed by most
salespeople usually are ineffective.But if you believe the conventional approach to be just fine,
here is a faithful example:"Hi, my name is Dan O'Day and I am with Z-100 Radio. I
understand that you are the Advertising Manager for ABC
Widgets, which means you are responsible for the
advertising in the Riverside area. I work for a division of XYZ
Broadcasting that specializes in creating advertising
campaigns that are specifically designed to drive sales for
companies like yours. We have worked with everyone from
Brand X Widgets to Brand Z Widgets. For example, last year
we did an advertising campaign for Brand X Widgets in
which we helped them advertise their new Super Widget. I
would love to give you more specific details about other
successful campaigns we have designed and talk to you
about how we can help you meet your goals in Riverside. My
name is is Dan O'Day and you can reach me at
555-476-8111. That number again is 555-476-8111. Thank
you and I look forward to your call."Well, there it is: A "professional" voice mail message which,
according to some book, contains all the elements required
to stimulate a callback.Lots of luck.We don't have enough space to analyze that message and
list all the things that it does wrong.But I will point out something that the creator of this
"blueprint" doesn't quite understand:The average business executive sorts through his mail over
the wastebasket. As soon as he mentally identifies
something as "junk mail," he drops it into that wastebasket.
And the majority of his mail goes directly into the trash
without ever being opened.The average business executive listens to her voice mail
messages with her finger poised over the "delete" button.And as soon as she decides this phone call is not
one that she needs to return or one that she will benefit from
returning, she hits "delete"......and never looks back.That means you must begin your message with something
that makes the recipient afraid to hit the "delete"
button.And it must maintain the recipient's interest all the
way to your "call to action" (i.e., telling them exactly how and
when to return your call).So you have a choice:Do you want to leave "professional"-sounding messages
that get deleted, not returned?Or do you want to leave unique, intriguing messages that
are are virtually irresistible to the recipient?Â© 2005 by Dan O'DayDan O'Day, an internationally known Advertising and
Marketing strategist, specializes in results-producing,
one-to-one communication with customers. He's worked
with media companies, ad agencies, and businesses in 31
different countries. His work has been praised by other
marketing gurus including Jay Abraham, Joseph Sugarman,
Joe Polish, etc. His book, How To Get
Your Voice Mail Messages Returned, is the only
resource in the world that includes detailed critiques of
actual sales voice mail messages... plus O'Day's own
rewrites to greatly increase the callback response of each
call. How To Get Your Voice Mail Messages
Returned is available for instant download from

http://www.VoiceMailReturned.com
Category : Investing

How to Manifest All the Clients You Need

2008-04-19T05:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Fabienne Fredrickson
Iâ™m known in the marketplace as someone who takes a no-nonsense, no-excuses approach to marketing and getting clients, meaning, I do what it takes, and create systems for everything so that Iâ™m always marketing. (By the way, my clients now do the same.) In turn, I always have a full roster of clients. Thatâ™s what I teach in my private coaching, in my Boot Camps, and in my Client Attraction Home Study System.One thing though, which only my private clients know about me, is I also throw in a healthy dose of Manifestation, which means focusing on what you want in your life, in such a way that you start attracting what you want quickly. Some might call it âœpositive thinking,â but I believe it goes WAY beyond just thinking positively about something. It also takes action.I use âœmanifestingâ for just about everything I want to attract in my life (a certain amount of money, my boat, a new home, etc.); however, for the purposes of this article, letâ™s focus on attracting clients, lots of them, who happily pay your full fee.As for just about everything in my Client Attraction Systemâ„¢, Iâ™ve even come up with a formula or system for manifesting clients. Here it is:Figure out EXACTLY what you want in great detail (how many clients, paying you how much, with the best of circumstances).
Come up with your BIG GOAL (âœMy practice is bursting at the seams with 15 clients happily paying my full fee of $_____.â)
Each day, write it down several times (I do this at least 9 times), each time imagining how great it will FEEL to sign on these new clients.
Go back and read the big goal OUT LOUD (this â˜locksâ™ it in place).
Spend several minutes, eyes closed, imagining your full practice in all its details and glory.
Write down one BIG action step youâ™ll take that day to make this happen.
Notice the synchronistic, happy âœcoincidencesâ you experience during the day that seem like a sign from the Universe, as they relate to your big goal.
Each day, spend a couple minutes writing down how very fortunate you are, what you are grateful for today, and what you would like to attract more of.
While youâ™re at it, write a letter to whatever you call your Higher Power (I call mine âœUniverseâ) and go into greater detail about what you want, asking for it to be done by a certain date.
Have faith in the process. Donâ™t cancel out all your âœmanifestingâ with negative comments or thoughts such as âœwhy am I doing this anyway, it wonâ™t happen, it never does.â If you start thinking that way, you can stop yourself right away and revert back to the big goal, and how it will feel to achieve it. Faith in this process is 80% of the game.
Granted, thereâ™s a lot here and I do just about all of it each day, but you donâ™t have to. Even if you do only ONE of these things, consistently, youâ™ll start noticing opportunities coming out of the woodwork, happy coincidences pointing you in the right direction. Take action on these, they are divinely sent! As a result, youâ™ll start attracting lots more clients. I promise.YOUR ASSIGNMENT:Itâ™s a new unusual way of attracting more clients, one that weâ™ve never talked about here and one that you might not be familiar with. However, that doesnâ™t mean it doesnâ™t work. Even if you are familiar with it, perhaps youâ™ve not taken the time and effort to apply it consistently. Make some time for in your day for this, each and every day, and youâ™ll start seeing results quickly.If you like the idea of this and want to try it in addition to the more pragmatic marketing stuff we regularly talk about, youâ™ll probably enjoy the book âœExcuse me, your life is waitingâ by Lynn Grabhorn. I did.Back to âœregularâ marketing techniques next time. If you canâ™t wait until then, check out the Client Attraction Home Study Systemâ„¢ for attracting all the clients you need with proven, systematic processes that will help you fill your practice quickly and consistently, guaranteed! Hereâ™s where you can get your own copy: www.TheClientAttractionSystem.com.Fabienne Fredrickson, The Client Attraction Expert, is founder of the Client Attraction Systemâ„¢, the proven step-by-step program to help you attract more clients, in record time and consistently. To learn more about Fabienne's Client Attraction Home Study Systemâ„¢, sign up for her FREE client attraction tips and no-charge teleclasses on attracting more clients, visit http://www.ClientAttraction.com.
Category : Writing & Speaking

Bagless Vacuum Cleaners Better Value in the Long Run

2008-04-18T22:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Peter Crump

Ever since the early nineteen nineties, bagless vacuum cleaners have been chipping away at the market dominance of their bagged vacuum cleaner counterpart. Claiming to best the bagged variety of cleaner in a number of different ways, bagless vacuum cleaners generally carry a higher price tag too. For the most part, you get what you pay for with bagless vacuum cleaners; so even if you are on a budget, dont let the price tag put you off. Purchasing a vacuum cleaner is, for most people, a necessary evil, and many of us try to spend as little of our hard earned cash on these household cleaners as we possibly can. For this reason, the price of bagless vacuum cleaners can seem a little like a waste of money. But even if all the talk of continuous vacuum cleaning power and no loss of suction doesnt convince you, bagless vacuum cleaners really can be well worth the price. For a start, bagless vacuum cleaners dont require the regular investment involved in purchasing vacuum cleaner bags. Its true that bagless vacuum cleaners do require maintenance, but what cleaner doesnt, and the best vacuum bagless vacuum cleaners will offer filters that can be washed several times before requiring replacement. This factor alone is significant enough to a large number of consumers to push any bagless vacuum cleaner rating up a few notches. While they do involve a larger initial expenditure, the best bagless vacuum cleaners will be sturdily made and should last a long time. Check out a bagless vacuum cleaner rating before you choose the cleaner for you, as these are invaluable in providing you with the inside scoop on bagless vacuum cleaners. Read the words of the consumers who have been there before you to ensure that you get one of the best bagless vacuum cleaners for you. Theres no denying that bagless vacuum cleaners tend to be more expensive than their bagged counterparts, but any bagless vacuum cleaner rating will testify that you really do get a better clean with a vacuum thats easy to maintain. And while there are a few cheap bagless vacuum cleaners available, its best to steer clear of them and opt for a sturdily made cleaner produced by a reliable manufacturer. Once you spend a little extra investing in bagless vacuum cleaners, you wont ever go back to bagged. To find out more about Vacuums visit Peter's Website Vacuums Reviewed and find out about Vacuum Cleaner Reviews and more, including Cordless Vacuum Cleaners, Dyson Vacuum Cleaners and Miele Vacuum Cleaners.

Category : General Home and Family

Microsoft CRM: Data Conversion â Import from Act!

2008-04-16T10:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Andrew Karasev
Best Software Act! is very popular CRM for small and mid-size organization. This system attracts business owner by its low price, plus system is very easy to use. However if your business is growing you should reach the moment to implement more advanced CRM solution. Natural question is â" how do we convert the data from Act! to new CRM solution and the mapping of your objects for conversion. You would probably like to avoid operator data entry with potential numerous errors and mistypes. Assuming that you are IT specialist, weâ™ll give you technical side of Act to MS CRM data migration:â¢ First you need to download Act! SDK from Best Software websiteâ¢ Install Act! SDK on the computer, where you plan to do programmingâ¢ Weâ™ll use asynchronous data export/import model, this means that weâ™ll design the system, containing two parts: export into XML and this XML file import into the CRMâ¢ Lets code Act! data export application, weâ™ll use C# to address Act Framework classes, weâ™ll need these libraries:using Act.Framework;
using Act.Framework.Activities;
using Act.Framework.Companies;
using Act.Framework.ComponentModel;
using Act.Framework.Contacts;
using Act.Framework.Database;
using Act.Framework.Groups;
using Act.Framework.Histories;
using Act.Framework.Lookups;
using Act.Framework.MutableEntities;
using Act.Framework.Notes;
using Act.Framework.Opportunities;
using Act.Framework.Users;
using Act.Shared.Collections;â¢ To connect to Act! database:ActFramework framework = new ActFramework();framework.LogOn("Act Username", "password", "SERVERâ, "Database");â¢ Now we need Act field names to map them with the fields in the MS CRM:private void ShowContactsFieldsDescriptions(ActFramework framework) {ContactFieldDescriptor[] cFields = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptors();ContactFieldDescriptor cField;for(int x = 0; x < cFields.Length; x++){cField = cFields[x];Console.WriteLine("Table Name:\t\t{0}", cField.TableName);Console.WriteLine("Column Name:\t{0}", cField.ColumnName);Console.WriteLine("Display Name:\t{0}", cField.DisplayName);Console.WriteLine("ACT Field Type:\t{0}", cField.ACTFieldType);Console.WriteLine("");}}â¢ Letâ™s get contact list and create the file for import instructions to MS CRM:ContactList cList = framework.Contacts.GetContacts(null);FileInfo t = new FileInfo("Contacts.xml");StreamWriter stw = t.CreateText();â¢ Now we form export data:for (int i = 0; i < cList.Count; i++) {string strContactXml = "";ContactFieldDescriptor cField;Object oValue;// First NamecField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.FIRSTNAME");oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]);if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "[CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]";// Last NamecField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.LASTNAME");oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]);if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "[CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]";elsestrContactXml += "" + "N/A" + "";// SalutationcField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.SALUTATION");oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]);if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "[CDATA[" + oValue.ToString() + "]]";// Job TitlecField = framework.Contacts.GetContactFieldDescriptor("TBL_CONTACT.JOBTITLE");oValue = cField.GetValue(cList[i]);if (oValue != null && !(oValue.ToString().Trim().Equals("")))strContactXml += "[CDATA[" + Regex.Replace(oValue.ToString(), "\r\n", "") + "]]";â¢ This is only portion of the data, that could be transferred into CRM, the whole list of fields is too long for small article, but your could design the whole list of desired fields. Please, pay special attention to replace HTML tag â" this is required for text data transfer into CRMâ¢ Next is import application creation. We will not describe here connection to MS CRM details â" please read Microsoft CRM SDK if you need this examples. Weâ™ll concentrate on the nature of the import.The XML export file should look like this:[CDATA[John]][CDATA[Smith]][CDATA[John]][CDATA[1234 W. Big River]][CDATA[Chicago]][CDATA[IL]][CDATA[123456]][CDATA[Toy Corporation]]{4F1849C3-9184-48B5-BB09-078ED7AB2DAD}â¢ Reading, parsing and MS CRM object creation look is relatively simple:Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser bizUser = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.BizUser();ICredentials credentials = new NetworkCredential(crmUsername, crmPassword, crmDomain);bizUser.Url = crmDir + "BizUser.srf";bizUser.Credentials = credentials;Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CUserAuth userAuth = bizUser.WhoAmI();// CRMContact proxy objectMicrosoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMContact contact = new Microsoft.Crm.Platform.Proxy.CRMContact ();contact.Credentials = credentials;contact.Url = crmDir + "CRMContact.srf";CorrectXML("Contacts.xml", userAuth.UserId);StreamReader reader = File.OpenText("Contacts.xml");string input = null;while ((input = reader.ReadLine()) != null){string strContactId = contact.Create(userAuth, input);Console.WriteLine("Contact {0} is created", strContactId);log.Debug("Contact " + strContactId + " is created");}â¢ Just consider in more details CorrectXML function â" it places OwnerId into XML contact tree:private void CorrectXML(string fileName, string userId) {File.Move(fileName, fileName + ".old");StreamReader reader = File.OpenText(fileName + ".old");FileInfo t = new FileInfo(fileName);StreamWriter writer = t.CreateText();string input = null;while ((input = reader.ReadLine()) != null){input = Regex.Replace(input, "{_REPLACE_ME_}", userId);writer.WriteLine(input);}reader.Close();writer.Close();File.Delete(fileName + ".old");}â¢ Finally, we are launching export, import, opening MS CRM and looking at the contact list, transferred from Act!â¢ Separate task would be Sales data from Act!, Notes etc. â" we plan to describe them in the future articlesGood luck with integration! If you want us to do the job - give us a call 1-630-961-5918 or 1-866-528-0577! help@albaspectrum.comAndrew Karasev is Lead Software Developer in Alba Spectrum Technologies â" USA nationwide Great Plains, Microsoft CRM customization company, serving clients in Chicago, Houston, Atlanta, Phoenix, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Miami, Denver, UK, Australia, Canada, Europe and having locations in multiple states and internationally ( http://www.albaspectrum.com )
Category : Elderly Care

Credit Reports and Credit Reporting Agencies

2008-04-16T04:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Ethan Hunter
We all know that our financial transactions are reported to credit agencies that track how well and how quickly we pay our debts and that when we apply for a loan for one reason or another, those agencies report our credit history to prospective lenders. However, most of us don't know a great deal about how that actually happens and how our credit is rated.The fact is that credit reporting has evolved to an industry all of its own. Just a few short years ago, when someone applied for a loan, he or she put down credit references – retail stores, banks, or other people or places with whom they had done business in the past. As a matter of course, the lender checked the references and decided whether or not to grant a loan based on an amalgamation of the responses from them. That really isn't the case any more.Instead, there are three major agencies that track everyone's credit and provide a credit rating when contacted by a potential lender. The three agencies are Equifax, located in Georgia; Experian, located in Texas; and Trans Union, located in Pennsylvania. When someone applies for a loan, the lender generally contacts one of these three agencies and obtains a credit score and the score helps the lender decide whether or not to make a loan.Credit ScoresHow is a credit score calculated? Until recently, that was one of life's great mysteries, but over the past few years new rules and regulations have made the information more readily available. Your credit score is a number that ranges from 300 to 900, although the exact formula for determining that number is proprietary and is not released. This is how it works in general.· 35% of the score is based on the history of how you have (or have not) paid your bills. The agencies track how many of your bills have been paid on time and how many haven't, as well as whether or not any of them have been referred for collection. The more recently you have had a collection or failed to pay something on time, the worse your score will be.· 30% of the score is based on the debts you have at the time of the rating. It is includes car and home loans, credit card debt, retail store debt and the like. If you have several credit cards and they are all limited out, your credit score is lower.· 15% of the total score is based on how long you have had credit. If you have never had credit or have only had credit for a short time, the lower your score will be.· 10% of the score is based on the number of inquiries that have been received about your report, particularly if there are several in the past year.· 10% of the score is based on your current credit and the types of credit you have. The number of credit cards and loans you have, as well as the available credit you have on your credit cards and considered.Because your credit score is based on these factors and they are constantly changing, your credit score changes along with them. Therefore, there are things you can do to change your credit rating and bring it up.Changing your Credit RatingThe first thing to do is get a copy of your credit report and make sure there aren't any mistakes on it. If there are, take steps to get them corrected. Errors in reporting do occur, although the credit bureaus would like for you to think they are foolproof. Here are a few more tips to improving your credit rating.· Don't pay off the entire balance on your credit card. Keep about 75% of it paid and keep a 25% balance. This applies to multiple credit cards as well.· Don't get rid of your older accounts. Keep them open. The credit reporters look at the age of your accounts and the longer you have had a particular account in good standing, the better.· Pay your bills on time. Experts say that this is probably the most important factor of all.· Prevent inquiries to your credit report whenever possible. Your score drops with the number of inquiries.The real key, however, is to only get credit when you need it and when you do get it, use it wisely. You can damage your credit rating with just a few late pays or collections and it may take up to a year of paying everything on time to build up a better rating.About The Author
Ethan Hunter is the author of many credit related articles. If you are looking for help with Payday loan or any type of faxless loans please visit us at http://www.PaydayLoanChoice.com.
Category : Finance:Credit

2005 NFC North Football Preview

2008-04-14T10:00:00.001-07:00

Author : James Campbell
OVERVIEW: NFC NorthLook for a changing of the guard In the NFC North in 2005 as I fully expect to see the Green Bay Packers pass the torch to the Vikings and finish below the .500 mark, Pack QB Brett Favre has spent 14 of his 15 NFL seasons in Green Bay and has had a Hall of Fame career which includes the honor of being the NFL's only three time MVP, Favre also has the distinction of being the NFL's "Iron Man" with regard to his starting 225 consecutive games.However, Favre will turn 36 yrs old on October 10 and his offensive line is significantly weaker with the key losses of starting offensive guards Marco Rivera and Mike Wahle, and those losses are in addition to losing starting S Darren Sharper and bit players S Michael Hawthorne and S Bhawoh Jue who provided depth in an already weak defensive secondary.Other than snagging Favre's replacement in QB Aaron Rogers with their top draft selection the Packers had a very average draft which is not a good thing when considering that they really didn't pick up anyone of consequence in free agency, Green Bay opened up their 2004 campaign with a 1-4 straight up and ATS record which includes losing their first three home games to the likes of the Bears, the Giants, and the Titans which is not a good sign considering that these three teams finished up 2004 with a combined record of 16-32 straight up.The Vikings appear to be the heir apparent to the NFC North throne as the ousting of WR Randy Moss who was nothing but a distraction along with the best draft of any team in the division and a good free agent crop might just turn these Vikings into a serious contender for the overall NFC crown when the smoke clears.However, with that being said the real question is whether the Vikings can overcome the distraction of the team being sold as well as the silly game time decisions and poor clock management of HC Mike Tice who if you recall was busted for scalping Super Bowl tickets.Detroit figures to give the Vikings a battle for the crown as long as they can remain healthy, Lion HC Steve Mariucci is in his third year with the organization and needs to make strides this year if he wants GM Matt Millen to hang around after 2005, Steve Mariucci was brought in after the Lions finished 2001 and 2002 with a combined record of 5-27 straight up and 15-16-1 ATS.In Mariucci's two seasons with the Lions they have gone 11-21 straight up and 17-15 ATS which means although slowly there has been improvement, the Lions selected three Pac-10 players with their top three choices by drafting WR Mike Williams out of USC with their top selection which makes this the third straight draft that a WR was chosen with the Lions first overall pick, with the Lions second pick they chose DT Shaun Cody out of USC and with their third choice they picked CB Stanley Wilson out of Stanford.The Lions got a possible steal in the fifth round with QB Dan Orlovsky out of Connecticut, Detroit was also very active in the free agent wars by picking up QB Jeff Garcia who used to play for Mariucci in San Francisco and thus knows this offense very well, if QB Joey Harrington continues to under perform expect to see a switch to Garcia. The additions of problem child WR Kevin Johnson and TE Marcus Pollard will bring veteran leadership to the offense.HC Lovie Smith and his Bears continue to be a work in progress as they once again will bring up the rear in 2005, windy city faithful had high hopes for this team following a 13-4 straight up and 11-5-1 ATS season in 2001, however, in the three seasons since that break out year of 2001 these Bears have tallied a dismal 16-32 straight up and 20-28 ATS record and the song will remain the same in 2005 as the Bears used their top draft choice on RB Cedric Benson.Benson will in all likelihood be one heck of a back, the problem lies in the fact that the Bears don't have an offensive line to block for the poor guy, Chicago's terrible offensive line play in 2004 was the root cause of the Bears seeing three QB's including Rex Grossman sidelined with injuries, its head shaking stuff to consider that this offensive line allowed a staggering 66 sacks which in the end caused the Bears to finish with an overall offensive ranking of 32nd in the league.In closing I see the NFC North as a race between the Vikings and Lions for the top spot with the Packers coming in third and Chicago bringing up the rear, if not for the Vikings bad game time coaching I would expect to see them win this division handily, however, Viking HC Mike Tice will probably cost his team two close losses via bad decisions when its said and done.The Vikings will probably be a public darling for most of the season so not much "Value" will be found by backing them, instead look to play against the Vikes when they are installed as road favorites this season as they are 4-10 ATS in this role over the past four years, the Vikings also tend to be way over valued by the public when playing at home as evidenced by the Vikes 1-10 ATS record as a home favorite of more than six points.Look to jump on the Lion bandwagon this season when they are installed as road doggies, Detroit posted a road mark of 3-5 straight up and 5-3 ATS in 2004 which is eye opening stuff when considering that they had lost 24 straight road games prior to 2004, if these Lions can remain healthy and QB Joey Harrington or Jeff Garcia have a decent season these Lions will have an offense that can keep them in any game they play.Jim Campbell is one of the nations most respected Sports Handicappers, he specializes in College and Pro Football, you can visit Jim at his website located at footballforecastor.com for all of your handicapping needs including free play selections, College and NFL stats, trends and award winning analysis on upcoming games.With over 30 plus years experience in the handicapping profession Jim has built a solid reputation, his web based handicapping service at footballforecastor.com as been in existence since 1997 and year after year proves to be one of the very best handicapping services in America.
Category : Recreation-and-Sports:Football

Koi Pond: Filter vs. Fish

2008-04-14T04:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Doug Hoover

There are many different types of filters available today for koi ponds which require regular cleaning. The decaying fish waste and pond debris need to be removed from the filter, flushed and cleaned with a garden hose a labor intensive, stinky, filthy, disgusting job if there ever was one! Biological filters are designed to filter out particulate and organic substances. By utilizing anaerobic bacteria-laden filter media, a bio-filter breaks down harmful toxic substances into harmless by-products. Busy koi ponds without a bio-filter will develop an environment harmful to its inhabitants as a result of the build-up of fish waste, decaying pond creatures and leaves and other debris that have settled to the bottom.The size of the bio-filter used in a koi pond is in direct proportion to the number of fish per gallon. The more fish, the more waste and the bigger the filter that is needed. Do you really need a filter? Not necessarily on the small ones -- not if you follow nature's guidelines. Natural lakes and ponds don't have mechanical bio-filters and they are home to many healthy fish. If, however, the koi fish begin to overpopulate the lake and start running out of food, they would thin out naturally until the population was small enough to be sustainable by their environment. Such a hypothetical overpopulation would cause an imbalance in the nitrogen cycle by producing too much nitrite from the koi fish waste. Then the increased pH of the water would create an algae bloom that could fill the lake and choke off the koi fish.Man-made koi ponds can be controlled mechanically and chemically to allow for larger numbers of koi fish per gallon than would be found in nature. Many formulas exist for dictating the proper number of koi fish a pond can hold, whether you calculate koi fish per square surface foot, koi fish per cubic foot, koi fish per gallon, pounds per gallon, or pounds per cubic foot. The bottom line here is: healthy water equals healthy koi fish. If your water is fish-friendly, the number is insignificant, within reason.If the air were pure, and if you had plenty of food and water, and a healthy way to eliminate, you could live in a small house with 30 other people and stay reasonably healthy, were it not for one thing: stress. Koi fish are like humans in that respect. If it gets too crowded, the koi fish will try to leave the koi pond and some actually do, but they do not get far. If koi fish are jumping out of a koi pond, it is not because they have an exploring nature; the koi pond is either too crowded or the quality of the water is less than desirable. FILTER TECHNOLOGYMan-made devices stretch the natural parameters set by nature, allowing the koi pond to support more life than it normally would. The biological filtering system is the best way to accomplish this. The more advanced the technology, the more effective its ability to treat water. There are as many different types and configurations of filters as there are people wanting to get rich off manufacturing and marketing their own filters. Almost every koi pond or water gardening magazine contains more advertisements for filters than any other product. Which one is the best? First, let's discuss the various types that are available.The most common filters are the up-flow, down-flow, submersible, recycling and pressurized types. The most common problem plaguing the operation of any filter is channeling. Water will always take the path of least resistance. Filters use a variety of filter media or material for the water to pass through. Pond water contains a large amount of suspended matter that collects in this filter media, eventually blocking or plugging the spaces between the material. As this occurs, the water will divert to another available path until it, too, clogs. Eventually, the water flow will find a permanent channel, avoiding the filtration process altogether until the media is removed, cleaned and replaced. In the case of a down-flow filter, it operates on the principle of gravity, as opposed to pressure or up-flow. So when the media begin to clog, gravity is not sufficient to force the water through the available channel at the same rate that water is being pumped through, so it spills out the overflow drain back into the koi pond, unfiltered.The most efficient and maintenance-free filters are pressurized filters that have a backwash feature. A bio-filter contains filter media on which nitrifying bacteria reside, and which break down the toxic nitrites into less toxic nitrates that can be used by the water plants. Consequently, the more surfaces that are available per square centimeter of material, the more effective the filter.Recent technology developed by Aqua Ultraviolet produces special hexagonal beads for their pressurized filters, which possess the greatest maximum available surface area of all existing filter media. They are tapered so that the beads are less likely to group together. Back washing forces water through the filter in the opposite direction, breaking loose solid material and flushing it free down the drain outlet. Or, with the use of a flexible ribbed hose, it will direct the nitrogen-rich waste-water onto the lawn, trees or flowers. Maintenance involves a simple turn of handle for about one to two minutes. Down-flow or upflow and submersible filters require disassembling and washing of all enclosed media, and then returning it to the filter -- a very messy and dirty process. Unfortunately, pressurized back-washable filters are costly and are designed for larger projects for use with out-of-pond pumps which are needed to adequately back-wash the filter. Thus, it is necessary to settle for the high maintenance, less effective down-flow or up-flow filters for smaller koi ponds of up to 300 gallons. If you are one of those people who now have, or are thinking about building a small koi pond, I have great news for you! Twenty-five years ago when I started in this business, there were few small pond filters available. However, with the advent of the liner pond in the early nineties, everybody and his brother-in-law started manufacturing down-flow filters in their garage. With no marketing plan, capital, or quality craftsmanship, most all the fly-by-night-by-the-seat-of their-pants back alley filter hopefuls faded out.A filter for a 250 gallon koi pond will range from $160-$200; for a 1000 gallon koi pond, $300-$400; and for a 2000 gallon koi pond filter from $500-$600.Now for the good news. Ill give you the diagram on how to build an up-flow bio-filter for up to a 2000 gallon pond for less than $65 using common items that can be purchased at your local Home Depot. I had one in my koi pond for years until I got sick and tired of cleaning it. Download parts list and instructions at: homepage.mac.com/doughoover/ Happy koi, peace & joy. Douglas C. Hoover; CEO of Aquamedia Corp, Master Waterfall Builder, architect, engineer, freelance writer, author, designer & builder of over 1,900 waterfall and ponds in CA (26 years). Author of "Waterfall and Pond Construction Manual" and developer of the "Water Feature Digital Design Library 4.0" Free downloads, no sign in-

http://www.askdoughoover.com

Category : General Gardening

Do You Know Where Your Teen Is? You Do With Spy Matrix GPS

2008-04-13T05:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Kingston Amadan
Spy Matrix GPS is the ultimate in car tracking technology. It is easy to use, easy to hide, and easy to follow. It is the perfect way for you to know where your car is now, and where you car was. Plus, this is a portable device, allowing you to transfer it to different cars at need. You can have peace of mind knowing where your car is it all times. And when you have teenagers, you can know where they have your car, thanks to the Spy Matrix GPS.The Spy Matrix GPS car tracking system makes use of the global positioning technology that the U.S. military has used since the 1980s. It is the same technology used by bounty hunters, private investigators, police, and government intelligence agencies. It has moved into the next generation, a small device that is portable and can even fit in a backpack or a purse.When you use Spy Matrix GPS to keep track of roaming teenagers, you can know that the car is where it should be. If your teen gets in a wreck or runs out of gas, he or she can call you, and if they do not know where they are, you, at least, have good directions. This remarkable GPS device can even keep track of approximate speeds, so you can be alerted to unsafe driving practices.In addition to the great features listed above, the Spy Matrix GPS also features real time tracking. You can sit down and watch the car as it is moving down the road. Plus, you can also access a history of where the car has been. Your teen may be at the study group now, but did she or he go there via a circuitous route that brought him or her there by way of a rave or a club?Your teen does not even have to know that you have the Spy Matrix GPS in the car. It is so small that it is easy to conceal. It can even be slipped into a backpack or purse. You can have peace of mind and your teenager can have a social life when you make use of the Spy Matrix GPS.(c) 2005 Copyright www.spyassociates.com. This article is about: Spy Matrix GPS.About The Author
Kingston Amadan
To learn more about Spy and Surveillance Products visit http://www.spyassociates.com. Read other related articles at http://spyassociates.blogspot.com/.
Category : Computers-and-Technology:GPS

Relationships, The Foundation Of Your Network Marketing Business

2008-04-12T22:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Jenean Matthews

Relationships, The Foundation of Your Network Marketing Business
By Jenean Matthews

Most of us know if a building is not set on a firm foundation it
will fall. The same can be said of your network marketing
business. The relationship you establish with your downline is
the foundation of your business. You can have the financing, a
web site with all the bells and whistles, and even great
products or services to offer but if you fail to establish a
relationship with your downline, your business will soon fall.

How do you establish a relationship? Keep in touch, or as we
wrote when we signed yearbooks in school, K.I.T.

When a prospect visits your site for the first time they are
somewhat cautious, as they should be. Joining a network
marketing opportunity is a big decision. So is the experience of
purchasing the product or service the company is offering. Are
they going to get burned? Will the product arrive on time, or
will it arrive at all? What are you going to do with their
personal information? How long will the company be in business?
These are all serious, legitimate questions. How can you make
them feel at ease? K.I.T.

Despite all the hesitation that goes into placing the order and
joining a network marketing opportunity, some people are willing
to give your business a chance. Once the order is placed and the
membership is established, always say thank you. Send an email
thanking the person for the purchase and give a confirmation of
the order. Immediately contact the new recruit and welcome them.
Let them know you will be there to assist them and you
appreciate their business.

Your network marketing business is just that, a business. In the
business world there are a variety of ways you can set up your
business. You can be a sole proprietor. You work alone. You are
the sole decision maker for the business. If this is the type of
business you're interested in, network marketing in not for you.
Instead, network marketing is more like a partnership. You
should have the frame of mind that you are willing to work with
others, take time for others and share ideas. No one should feel
that they are in this alone. Your financial success is linked to
the success of your downline. The more prosperous they are, the
more prosperous you will be.

I'm not sure why this concept is so hard to get across in this
industry. I have heard uplines refer to some of their downlines
as deadbeats. They aren't producing so they get left behind.
Soon they lose interest and start looking for "another"
opportunity. Yes, there may be some that may not have a strong
commitment to making the business work but overall I believe
there's a communication breakdown. If I tell you to meet me a
Walmart and I fail to tell you which one, chances are we will
not be going in the same direction. If I tell you to meet me at
my house and I assume you know the directions, chances are it
will take us a longer period of time to reach our goal. When
there's proper communication everyone will have a set of
instructions that will take them where they need to go. We have
to make sure we are all on the same level.

Recruits come into opportunities at all levels. Some may have
little or no experience and initially will require a lot your
time. Some have experience but need to learn what this new
opportunity is all about before they can take off running. And a
few may immediately begin to soar. How can you distinguish
between the recruits? K.I.T.

As you begin to give information and guidance to your recruits,
you should also be asking questions and listening to the
response. I can't find logic in pushing a person to make $10,000
a month when all they want is an extra $500 a month to help with
the expense of a newborn baby. You may be wondering why the new
recruit is not using all the online tools they been given to
recruit. Yet you haven't taken time to find out that this person
has just become familiar with where the button is for turning on
their computer. How will you possibly get to know all of this?
K.I.T.

You're probably wondering how can you run your business, make
money and keep in touch with all these recruits? Keep in mind
that the relationships you're establishing are your business. In
network marketing your recruits are your customers too. Everyone
should be using the products or services as well as referring
them to those not interested in the business aspect. With the
new line of tools available keeping in touch doesn't have to
take a lot of time. There are chat sites, email, autoresponders,
surveys, newsletters, conference calls, etc. Even if your
opportunity doesn't have all of these features they can be
obtained on the internet, for free or at a very low cost. The
fact is communication is key to the relationship. This is not a
silent partnership.

For those of you that are still struggling with the fact that
you must take the time to establish relationships in network
marketing, ask yourself, why would you want to go into business
with someone you don't know anything about or don't want to take
the time to get to know?

When the relationship is established at the beginning of the
business you can teach each recruit to do the same. As each one
of you continuously teach the method of establishing a
relationship, it will soon become second nature, and a success
pattern will be created. Everyone will begin to reach his or her
goals.

It's time to build a successful network marketing business. Lay
the proper foundation relationship upon relationship. Take the
time right now to contact your downline. K.I.T.
====================================

Relationships, The Foundation of Your Network Marketing Business
Copyright 2001 Jenean Matthews is a businesswoman who believes
in encouraging and helping others to accomplish their dreams.
She believes people can overcome obstacles, rise to any
occasion, and accomplish their entire dream with enough faith.
She can be found accomplishing her dream at
http://www.1stshoppingavenue.com or subscribe to the newsletter
for chances to win free gifts salespaper-subscribe@topica.com

Category : Software

Managers: Paying for PR-Lite?

2008-04-12T09:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Robert A. Kelly
As a business, non-profit or association manager, your public relations expenditure may give you names in the newspaper or product plugs on radio. But what about key stakeholder behavior change â" the kind that leads directly to achieving your managerial objectives?Since thatâ™s public relationsâ™ strongest suit, shouldnâ™t you be getting that first, THEN incremental publicity exposure? Especially when persuading those important outside folks to your way of thinking can move many of them to take actions that help you achieve your department, division or subsidiary objectives?Bounce this notion off the public relations team assigned to your unit: people act on their own perception of the facts before them, which leads to predictable behaviors about which something can be done. When we create, change or reinforce that opinion by reaching, persuading and moving-to-desired- action the very people whose behaviors affect the organization the most, the public relations mission is accomplished.If they buy into it, youâ™ll have a simple blueprint that gets everyone working towards the same external audience behaviors insuring that your public relations effort stays on track.Consider the possible payoffs: customers starting to make repeat purchases; community leaders beginning to seek you out; welcome bounces in show room visits; membership applications on the rise; prospects starting to do business with you; fresh proposals for strategic alliances and joint ventures; higher employee retention rates, capital givers or specifying sources beginning to look your way, and even politicians and legislators starting to view you as a key member of the business, non-profit or association communitiesBut, like everything else, thereâ™s no free lunch in PR either, and the work looks like this. You need to find out who among your important outside audiences is behaving in ways that help or hinder the achievement of your objectives. And then, list them according to how severely their behaviors affect your organization.Of course itâ™s unlikely that you have the facts and figures you need to pull this off because you arenâ™t real certain just how most members of that key outside audience perceive your organization.Thereâ™s also a good chance you donâ™t have the budget to accommodate expensive professional survey work. So you and your PR colleagues (they should be quite familiar with perception and behavior matters) must monitor those perceptions yourself.Meet with members of that outside audience and ask questions like âœAre you familiar with our services or products?â âœHave you ever had contact with anyone from our organization? Was it a satisfactory experience?â Stay alert to negative statements, especially evasive or hesitant replies. Watch carefully for false assumptions, untruths, misconceptions, inaccuracies and potentially damaging rumors. Any of which will need to be corrected, because experience shows they usually lead to negative behaviors.So, because the obvious objective here is to correct those same untruths, inaccuracies, misconceptions and false assumptions, you now select the specific perception to be altered, and that becomes your public relations goal.But a PR goal without a strategy to show you how to get there, is like champagne without the peaches. Thatâ™s why you must select one of three strategies especially designed to create perception or opinion where there may be none, or change existing perception, or reinforce it. The challenge here (albeit small) is to insure that the goal and its strategy match each other. You wouldnâ™t want to select âœchange existing perceptionâ when current perception is just right suggesting a âœreinforceâ strategy.Your writers step forward here to create a compelling message carefully designed to alter your key target audienceâ™s perception, as called for by your public relations goal.Stay flexible as to message delivery because combining your corrective message with another presentation or newsworthy announcement of a new product, service or employee may lend more credibility by not overemphasizing the need for such a correction.The new message must be very clear about what perception needs clarification or correction, and why. Your facts must be truthful and your position must be logically explained and believable if it is to hold the attention of members of that target audience, and actually move perception in your direction. Itâ™s clear that your message must be compelling.I call the communications tactics you will use to move your message to the attention of that key external audience âœbeasts of burdenâ because they must carry your persuasive new thoughts to the eyes and ears of those important outside people.Youâ™re in luck here because the list of tactics is a long one. It includes letters-to-the-editor, brochures, press releases and speeches. Or, you might select radio and newspaper interviews, personal contacts, facility tours or customer briefings. There are dozens in waiting and the only selection requirement is that those tactics you choose have a record of reaching people just like the members of your key target audience.Your associates will soon want to know if any progress is being made. Of course youâ™ll already be hard at work remonitoring perceptions among your target audience members. Using questions similar to those used during your earlier monitoring session, youâ™ll now be on the lookout for indications that audience perceptions are beginning to move the way you want them to move.Things can always be moved along at a faster clip by adding more communications tactics, AND by increasing their frequencies.The only way to be certain you are buying full-bodied public relations results and not the âœLiteâ version, is to undertake an aggressive public relations plan that targets the kind of key stakeholder behavior change that leads directly to achieving your department, division or subsidiary objectives.About The AuthorBob Kelly counsels, writes and speaks to business, non-profit and association managers about using the fundamental premise of public relations to achieve their operating objectives. He has been DPR, Pepsi-Cola Co.; AGM-PR, Texaco Inc.; VP-PR, Olin Corp.; VP-PR, Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.; director of communi- cations, U.S. Department of the Interior, and deputy assistant press secretary, The White House. He holds a bachelor of science degree from Columbia University, major in public relations. mailto:bobkelly@TNI.net. Visit:http://www.prcommentary.com
Category : Skin Cancer

Offline Promotion - The Other Source for Potential Customers

2008-04-10T19:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Hermas Haynes

It is often quite easy for the Web business owner to overlook the importance of offline promotion. In reality, all your potential customers live offline. They work in the community, shop at the neighborhood supermarkets, attend various places of worship, read newspapers, watch television, visit the doctor and are members of various organizations. Each of these facts is an opportunity to promote your Web site in the real world, and by routinely combining offline methods with your online promotions, you will effectively extend your reach in the virtual marketplace. Here are 11 simple ways you can do that: 1. Word of Mouth - This is obviously the most cost effective and powerful way to let people know about your Web business. It may also be the most under-utilized, which is ironic since the majority of your site's content is made up of words anyway. Use every opportunity to talk about your Web site to friends and family. Make it a point everyday to tell six strangers about your business. The impact of this publicity will astound you. 2. Stationery - Include your Web address on all your business stationery, especially business cards and letterhead. 3. Fliers - A simple flier announcing a special offer and displaying your URL can be put together for next to nothing. You can give these out at community events, distribute door to door or ask permission to place them in businesses in your neighborhood. 4. Brochures - A well-prepared brochure is a convenient tool for presenting an overview of your business and highlighting your product or service benefits. They can be handed out or mailed in response to requests for more information. 5. Community Boards - Many supermarkets, diners, restaurants, laundromats, bookstores, and local businesses have a section on their premises where you may place your business cards, fliers, brochures and announcements. 6. Promotional Items - The familiar and ubiquitous promotional coffee mug, key chain, pen, magnet, calendar, tee shirt and baseball cap, are excellent items to display your company logo or Web address. You can sponsor an event for a community organization or little league club and give these items away. Your business will always be associated with the event. 7. Card Exchanges - Very often, local business organizations and Chambers of Commerce will sponsor events where business owners can display their products and network with each other. These are great opportunities to establish contacts and develop sound professional relationships. 8. Press Releases - Put together a one- or two-page document with news about your company's new product or service, and send it off to the editor of your local newspaper, radio and television station. Editors are always looking for something news worthy to feature. This could result in a newspaper article, a radio interview or a television appearance. The exposure is good for business. 9. Newsletters - If you offer an online newsletter, consider printing copies of it and getting permission to leave a few in your doctor's or dentist's waiting rooms. You could place some on community boards in your town and try a few of the methods mentioned above to distribute it. 10. Bulletins - Many places of worship circulate a bulletin at their services that includes inexpensive advertising. Consider placing a classified or small display ad for an extended period in such a publication. 11. Answering Machine - Program your answering machine message to mention a new product or special discount and invite the caller to visit your Web site for more information. This is by no means an exhaustive list of offline promotion choices. The opportunities are only limited by your imagination.Many of the above strategies require little or no money, and can be executed as you go about your daily routine. The exposure you gain could be worth the time and effort many times over.If you want to expose your business to the widest possible audience, you must vigorously and consistently promote it online as well as offline. Effective promotion is to your business, what the wind is to a sailboat. You wouldn't make much progress without it. Hermas Haynes is an Internet marketer and Webmaster. He offers an informative blueprint on how to create and manage your own profitable online business in six simple steps. Visit his site today - http://SixFigureProfits.net - and download your free preview.

Category : General Off-Line Promotion

Identity Theft: The road back

2008-04-10T18:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Daryl Campbell

A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine mentioned that one of
his co-workers recently recovered his stolen identity. I asked
how long the process took. "Only two years" he replied. Compared
to the six year nightmare suffered by one of my business
associates, "only" maybe appropriate. However like most victims
of identity theft, my friend's co-worker probably thought in
terms of "when". As in, "When will I get my life back?"

Privacy Rights Clearinghouse, a non profit consumer
organization, reported that identity theft victims spend on
average 175 hours trying to recover their identity, often over a
period of years. Factor in out of pocket expenses which usually
total, usually over $1,500 according to the Federal Trade
Commission and recovery gets painfully magnified.

What are the steps to identity restoration? It starts with
obtaining a police report. You're going to need it for
contacting the many and I mean many different agencies and
organizations, including the Social Security Administration, The
Federal Trade Commission, all of your financial institutions,
the 3 major credit bureaus, the Passport Office, The Department
of Motor Vehicles, the Post Office, and other law enforcement
agencies as well as the Medical Information Bureau, since
identity thieves now target hospitals and doctor's offices. All
of these places must be sent a fraud notification alert.

It is vital that you contact other law enforcement agencies. The
databases of local and federal authorities must be searched to
ensure no criminal activity exists on your identity.

Concerning your financial institutions, get them to cancel your
credit cards and close your bank accounts. Find out from your
bank about any suspicious activity, such as accounts tampered
with or opened fraudulently. Reopen new bank accounts with
password verification.

When contacting the credit bureaus make sure your credit report
reflects the identity theft and gets flagged with a fraud alert.
Dealing with all these organizations requires constant follow
up. Make sure you keep a record of who you talk to along with
the date, time and action taken. Many victims received
assurances from the various bureaus and agencies that the matter
would be resolved only to find the identity theft remained and
that were still liable. If you do this yourself, be diligent.
Constant follow up all the way to the end.

This also requires knowing your rights. According to the Fair
Credit Reporting Act of 1992, you must be told not only what's
in your file but if that information is being used against you.
The Federal Trade Commission recently expanded the rights
available to victims of identity theft including your right to
get negative information due to fraud blocked from your records.

Stay Away from "credit repair "companies". No matter what they
advertise, there's usually nothing they can do to help you with
identity theft. Some of them even offer to help you apply for
credit under a new identity. Hello? When trying to eliminate
fraud from your record you don't want to create more fraud!

Advise the utility companies. Many identity thieves open
telephone accounts, purchase cable television or establish
credit with the gas & electric companies. It's not just bank
accounts and credit cards.

If necessary get counseling. Identity theft can be a shattering
experience not just economically but emotionally. Many victims
feel ashamed and humiliated. It's not their fault of course but
the feelings remain. A network of support groups and counselors
exists if you need it.

The road back from identity theft can take time, money, and
cause much stress and pain . But with follow up, support and
belief that the nightmare will end...the nightmare WILL end.

==================================== Don't go it alone. Get free
information concerning identity theft protection, 24/7
monitoring and fast restoration. Go to http://digbig.com/4cmcg
now.

Category : Cardio

Is it Just Me, or are People Getting Ruder?

2008-04-10T01:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Mary Eule

Copyright 2005 Mary EuleIve been wondering this for a while and have been dying to ask my business colleagues and friends. But whenever Im get ready to pop the question, I manage to convince myself that its silly, reveals my cynical nature (or advance years!) and is probably just a figment of my jaded imagination certainly not worthy of intelligent discussion.The question, however, continued to reside nervously on the tip of my tongue, eager to fly out (particularly just after leaving my apparently mute colleague a fourth voice mail message). But it wasnt until I read Keith Ferrazzis masterful book, Never Eat Alone that I summoned the courage to thunderously and openly inquire, Are people, particularly those in business, much ruder than they use to be?And Have we become so numb to it that we actually expect - and worst yet, accept it as normal and okay?I think yes. I hope Im wrong.Let me, however, step back a bit Why did Ferrazzis book serve as my catalyst?The short answer is that its just plain good. It is a brilliantly written book simple without being simplistic in the same league as Dale Carnegies classic How to Win Friends and Influence People. And in an age when everyone seems to be a marketing, internet or personal motivation coach its refreshing to read something so balanced and genuinely inspired. Most importantly, however, Ferrazzi reminds us that were not in this alone - people make business happen!He reiterates what some of us already know. Were all better off emotionally, financially, and physically when we take the time to build thoughtful, intimate (not in the biblical sense :>) and sincere relationships with others. Ferrazzi says that while our personal styles and levels of openness should be adjusted as appropriate, making strong human connections is essential to our well being. I couldnt agree more! This is, after all, what its all about and long overdue advice. Thanks, Keith!But then it occurred to me. How can you develop relationships with people when they dont call, email, or show up even when theyve promised to do so?!And Im not referring about those little, unintentional slip-ups that happen to all of us occasionally - like when youve forgotten your Aunt Hildas birthday; or waited until the last minute to send in your wedding RSVP; or failed to send a thank-you note.No, what Im talking about is far more baffling and egregious. Im referring to the friends who call you one day before your big dinner party and reiterate how much theyre looking forward to seeing you - and then dont show up no explanation, no call, no nothing.Or how about that real estate agent who promises to get back to you with a price no later than 2 pm, and you never hear from them again?And what about that old friend or colleague who cant wait to have lunch with you next Thursday and then doesnt return your confirmation calls or emails?Then theres my favorite youve killed yourself to help someone get something urgent done (usually a boss or co-worker) and even managed to save the day You email the document before the deadline, sure that the recipient will be relieved and grateful. But you never find out. No thank you. No way to go. No nothing.Or is it just me? Maybe soI was raised in a home where we were taught to treat everyone with the same amount of respect and kindness. Period. Behavior that didnt measure up to this standard was not tolerated. We learned that the true measure of someones character rested in their commitment to do the right thing - even when they didnt have to.For example, whenever I leave a hotel room, I wipe off the counters; gather my towels together in one convenient spot; turn off the television, lights and air conditioning; return the iron to the closet; and make sure that all my scraps of paper are where they belong in the trash can.Why? Because its just the right thing to do (and my mother would probably rise up out of her grave and kick my butt if I didnt :>). Yes, hotels employ a cleaning staff who are paid to clean up after me, but why should they? Its my mess. I was responsible for making it, so I am responsible for cleaning it up even if I dont have to.I have adopted my parents code and although I sometimes fail, I continually strive to measure up to those standards.But what does this look like in the real world? It means you 1. Return calls even if its only to say no2. Honor your commitments if you tell someone youre going to do something, you do it. If you absolutely cannot, you let them know beforehand.3. When youre asked to RSVP, you do so4. Say thank you and please to strangers, friends, family members, waiters and waitresses, taxi drivers, colleagues, children, teenagers everyone.5. Call when youre going to be late6. Return emails (unless its spam)7. Welcome people into your home do your best to make them feel comfortable and important8. Clean up after yourself9. Value other peoples privacy10. Honor your parents11. Respect elders12. Chew gum quietly13. Say excuse me when you burp14. Open doors for others15. Allow someone with only two items to move ahead of you in the grocery line16. Respect other cultures, religions, ethnicities and the like.17. Dont push in front of someone even if youre in a car18. Share your things19. Dont act like a pig even if its at an All-You-Can-Eat buffet20. Dont brag21. Never litterAre these rules a thing of the past? Pass in todays fast-paced culture? Old fashioned? Silly? Or am I just imagining things?But if Im not why? Are we overloaded, overbooked and over committed? Has it become too easy to make excuses? Have we been forced into a every-man-for-himself mindset? Did our parents and teachers fail us?Or is it that we just dont care because theyre not important. What do you think?

About the author:

Mary Eule specializes in helping small and medium-sized businesses get and keep profitable customers. Formerly a Fortune 500 marketing executive; founder of two successful small businesses and award-winning speaker, Ms. Eule is President of Strategic Marketing Advisors, LLC. and co-author of a new book, "Mandatory Marketing: Small Business Edition".
She has a BA in Journalism/English from the University of Maryland and earned her a masters degree in marketing from Johns Hopkins University. Log onto her website: http://www.StrategicMarketingAdvisors.comfor free articles, newsletter and helpful marketing tools, tips and templates and/or to purchase the book.

Category : Business

Estate Planning And The Revocable Living Trust

2008-04-09T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : David Hallstrom
According to Plan-My-Estate.com - With a Revocable Living Trust, you transfer the title of any of your assets (such as a house) from yourself as an individual, to yourself as Trustee of the Trust. Then you, as the Trustee of the Trust, manage the assets of the Trust for the benefit of the beneficiary, which is you. In this manner, you keep complete control over the assets. Once you pass on, a Successor Trustee takes over the management of the asssets for the benefit of the beneficiaries that you named in your Trust. Your assets do not have to pass through Probate because the assets are no longer titled in your name as an individual, but are now titled in the name of the trust. Upon your death, the Successor Trustee simply transfers your assets directly to your beneficiaries without the need for court or attorney's fees or costs.

With a Revocable Living Trust you keep complete control over your assets and ensure that your assets are passed to your designated beneficiaries without delay or unnecessary costs.

Why use a revocable living trust as part of your estate planning strategy?

1. Assets funded into the trust avoid probate. This can save your beneficiaries time and money and if there is no probate, there is probably no public record of the distribution of assets. Note, however, that only the assets written into the trust agreement are covered by the trust. If you win the lottery today and die tomorrow without amending the trust, the winning proceeds will not be covered and may have to be run through probate.

2. You decide when and what principal and or income will be passed to which beneficiaries and for what purposes the income or principal can be distributed, ie: so and so can only use the money for educational purposes. If it's not used for educational purposes by a certain date then it goes to another beneficiary. Or, the income from the trust is to go to your current spouse and when she dies or remarries or what ever condition you wish to add, the assets are to be distributed to your children, or your children are to recieve the income from the trust untill they reach a certain age and then the assets are to be distributed as set up in the trust.

3. The trust's assets are normally protected from the beneficiary's creditors as the trust owns the assets not the beneficiary. Note: The trust's assets are not normally protected from your creditors. Because a living trust is revocable your creditors can usually go after the assets.

You should consult with an attorney who specializes in estate planning.

While a living trust can offer many advantages in addition to the foregoing, it also has various disadvantages. The advantages and disadvantages can depend on both your financial and personal situation. A good attorney will go over your both your financial and personal situations and then provide you with proper advice about planning and protecting your estate and assets.

David G. Hallstrom, Sr. is not an attorney and the foregoing information is not given as legal advice. It is instead given as information and opinion gathered and developed through experience over the last thirty years as a private investigator dealing almost exclusivly with attorneys. The author also interviewed various estate planning attorneys prior to writing this article. Although the author believes the information to be accurate no guarantee is made or implied. As in all legal matters the advice of a competent attorney should be sought when planning or attempting to protect your estate.

This article may be reprinted, at no charge, provided that credit is given to the author and that any links contained herein are retained and kept active.©Copyright 2005 Resources For Attorneys. All Rights Reserved Worldwide.David G. Hallstrom, Sr. is a retired private investigator and currently publishes several internet directories including http://www.resourcesforattorneys.com a legal and lifestyle resources directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.
Category : Finance:Estate-Plan-Trusts

New SmartCompliance First Aid Service Offers Guaranteed OSHA Compliance to Restaurants and Food Services

2008-04-09T00:00:00.001-07:00

Author :

FirstAid Exchange, a leading provider of first aid products and services, announces the debut of a new first aid service designed specifically for restaurants and food services. SmartCompliance is the first and only first aid service to guarantee compliance with OSHA regulations for first aid in the workplace 24/7 and is already being adopted by corporate and franchise operations of major restaurants such as McDonalds, Papa Murphys, and Subway. SmartCompliance was virtually seamless as we introduced it in our 24 restaurants. Very rarely do my managers get excited about another initiative or program. However, they have found SmartCompliance to be simple, efficient and cost effective, says Bill Mathews, McDonalds franchisee. I would highly recommend this to other McDonalds owner/operators or McCopco restaurants.SmartCompliance offers benefits no other first aid solution can match, says John Sauer, National Sales Manager for FirstAid Exchange. In addition to guaranteed OSHA compliance, SmartCompliance offers more of what employees need than in retail first aid kits and is 40% or more cost-efficient than van services. With the SmartCompliance service can reduce the risk of emergency room visits and compensation claims from not having adequate first aid onsite. You increase the effectiveness of work place food safety while reducing costs, keeping employees on the job and increasing profitability.The cabinet features visible blue bandages and finger cots, burn relief cream and gel, and all first aid products required by OSHA. The contents stay neat and organized in busy restaurant environments and the package labeling makes first aid products easy for staff to find and use. The SmartTab ezRefills are inexpensive and replenishment takes just a few minutes a month. Simply phone, e-mail or fax in the reorders and they are sent directly to the restaurant. Since you only order what you need, SmartCompliance prevents over-stocking and over-billing. SmartCompliance is currently available through Food Services of America and directly from FirstAid Exchange. For product inquiries please contact John Sauer at FirstAid Exchange (866) 324-1005. Further information and photos of the SmartCompliance products can be found at <a href="http://www.firstaidexchange.com/news/default.asp" target="_blank">http://www.firstaidexchange.com/news/default.asp</a>.FirstAid Exchange is the newest venture by Mark Miller, Chairman and founder of First Aid Only. First Aid Only is a leading manufacturer of first aid kits with a wide range of products spanning both the consumer and industrial markets. The core strengths of the company have been, and remain, innovation and commitment to quality, comprehensive first aid at a fair price. Founded in 1988, First Aid Only is a privately held company and operates from a 54,000 square foot facility in Vancouver.

Category : Cook Books

Stonehenge A Monument To New Year Idea

2008-04-08T05:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Lindsey Williams
The power and persistence of a good idea constantly amazes me. Once an inspired perception of human activity takes root it is impossible to wipe it out and only with difficulty modified.It is this quality of man's mind that makes the study of ancient history so fascinating. Most of what we accept as modern had its beginning thousands of years ago. Much of what puzzles us today is understandable when we know how it started and how it reached us.A case in point is the celebration of New Years Day. It began before there was writing, but it has changed little over the centuries. It is an important holiday to all civilized peoples because it embodies the important idea of a new start, of trying main to do better. It's human and it's important, thus it persists.I have been led to these somewhat philosophical observations during the closing hours of 1968 by a Christmas gift book, "Stonehenge Decoded," by Professor Gerald S. Hawkins.Stonehenge is that mysterious circle of giant stones in southern England which was erected by an unknown people for an hitherto unknown purpose.Dr. Hawkins, professor of astronomy at Boston University and research associate at the Harvard College Observatory, has proven to my satisfaction that Stonehenge was a stone age astronomical observatory and the world's first computer.I became acquainted with Stonehenge a little over a year ago during a visit to England. I arrived at Amesbury, nearest village to the famous monument, in midmorning. No taxis were available and the only bus of the day did not leave until mid-afternoon. As Stonehenge was only four miles away by well marked path I decided to walk.In retrospect I recommend this approach to the ancient circle. Amesbury is the kind of British village you see in travel folders. Little shops crowding the sidewalk, cottages with well tended lawns and flower beds, a low bridge over the gently flowing Avon River then a long slope up Lark Hill to Salisbury plain.As I reached the open countryside it started to rain softly. The wet grass soaked my feet but otherwise I was adequately protected by a rain coat and hat. On the horizon I could just make out the grey clump that was Stonehenge. The slow, silent walk in a drizzle, through a strange land, conditioned me to a proper awe by the time I arrived at Stonehenge.Because of the rain there were only two other visitors at the site and they soon fled to their car and departed. I walked around and under the huge, glistening rocks, each up to 50 tons bulk. How had men with only their own power and primitive tools raised these giant stones? Why?I stood motionless in the center of the ghost-like stones to absorb the mood of mystery and desolation. After awhile the guard at the gate left his little ticket house and squished toward me. "Like me to show you around a bit?" he said.It was obvious to the guide that I was more interested in Stonehenge than the average tourist for he braved the rain with me for nearly an hour explaining as much about the stones as now is known.A horse shoe of head-high stones is encompassed by another horse shoe of 24-foot trilothons --- two upright stones capped by a horizontal stone. These are enclosed by a circle of slightly smaller uprights originally consisting of 30 stones and a continuous lintel across their tops. Next are two rows of postholes, then a ring of 56 white chalk spots. Finally around the whole is a low mound.In all, the arrangement is some 300 feet in diameter.The white spots, called Aubrey holes after their discoverer, are four-foot holes packed with chalk and---in many instances---cremated human bones.By radiocarbon dating of the charred bones, and a piece of deer antler found under one of the upright stones, Stonehenge has been accurately dated. It was built over a three hundred-year period from 1900 B.C. to 1600 B.C. This was a thousand years after the building of the great pyramid of Egypt, Troy had not yet fallen to the Greeks and Abraham was still living in Mesopotamia.The predominant people in Britain at that time were the "Beaker People" but no one today knows where they came from or what happened to them. They left no other monuments or records, and their numerous burial mounds reveal only a primitive culture.Was Stonehenge their single, supreme example of a superior intelligence, or were wise foreigners living amongst them to supervise the erection and operation of a holy temple?It is probably significant, said the guide, that the altar stone and the heel stone alignment point to the mid-summer sunrise or solstice. For this reason the monument was thought for hundreds of years to be a Druid temple. However Stonehenge was ancient and deserted when the Druids came over from the European continent. I finally ran out of questions so the guard gave me a lift back to town. We shook hands solemnly, he appreciative of my respect for his ancient monument, I appreciative of his time and courtesy.It is easy to see how Professor Hawkins --- who grew up near Stonehenge --- would apply his astronomical knowledge to the mystery. He returned to his birth land to make measurements and sightings of the Stonehenge stones.Back at Harvard, members of the computer staff programmed Hawkins's measurements into an IBM 7090 then reversed the sky electronically ---and in less than a minute --- to the stone age. The alignments of paired stones pointed unerringly to every extreme movement of the sun and moon.For more details I suggest you get the book published by Doubleday. It's better than a detective story.Which brings us back to New Year's Day.Hawkins points out that the June 24 summer solstice alignment also points in the reverse direction to the December 22 winter solstice --- the time when the days start to get longer. This was the beginning of the new year to the ancient sun worshippers.Stonehenge was likely a ritual tomb for the sun and a temple to its rebirth. Elsewhere it is known that this was the beginning of a four-day festival ending Dec. 25. It was a time or rekindling the hearth fire, gift giving, merry making and resolutions to live a better life.Whether your present remembrance of Jan. 1 is a throbbing head or a glowing heart, the idea has been handed down from your ancestors with the unspoken wish you will resolve to improve. After four thousand years of trying, we must be making progress, aren't we? I mean, we are!January 1, 1969Lindsey Williams is a Sun columnist who can be contacted at:LinWms@earthlink.netLinWms@lindseywilliams.orgWebsite: http://www.lindseywilliams.org with several hundred of Lin's articles written over 40 years, and his book "Boldly Onward," about the original explorers of America.
Category : Self-Improvement:Innovation

How to Take Advantage of the New Google Adwords Changes

2008-04-06T09:00:00.001-07:00

Author : David E. Nevogt
On Friday, July 15th all Google advertisers got the email message entitled âœGoogle AdWords(TM) Announcement: Keyword Evaluation Changesâ. Now, I donâ™t know about you, but whenever I get a message from Google concerning Adwords, everything else seems to take a backseat.So weâ™ve decided to give you a heads up on what you can be expecting in the future, how you can expect these new changes to effect your advertising efforts, and what you should be doing to make sure that you can compete after theyâ™ve been implemented.First, here is a brief summary of the changes so you understand what exactly is going on:1. Keywords will simply be active or inactive, instead of Normal, in trial, on hold, disabled.2. There will be a minimum bid for each of your keywords based on the keywordâ™s Quality Score which, in turn, will be based on your adâ™s click-through rate. The higher-relevant, more targeted, ads will have higher Quality Scores and lower minimum bid amounts. The less-relevant and less-targeted keywords and ads will have higher minimum bids. Now the difference from Googleâ™s old way of doing things is that you can now activate your keywords no matter what. Before, it was up to Google. They would simply place your keywords on hold, and you didnâ™t have a choice, but try to optimize your ad. Now, you can get that keyword to run, regardless of its quality scoreâ¦but youâ™ll have to pay a much higher price per click.What does all of this mean for the advertiser? Well, it means a few things, and it would be foolish to say that these changes were all good. They are definitely all good for Google, and that is to be expected.1. Google says that they believe these changes will result in higher-quality ads. Maybe this is true, and maybe itâ™s not. What is true is that the educated advertisers will save money under the new rules. People that know how to group ads and get higher CTRâ™s will have to pay less for the same ad rank as those advertisers that do not know such techniques. Thatâ™s a good thing for small advertisers who spend time organizing their Adword accounts.2. Butâ¦ on the flip side, it also means that big advertisers with big budgets can now come in and write ineffective ads and get good placement. Notice above, we didnâ™t say that this change was all necessarily good for small advertisers. What is true is that small advertisers will have to become more educated to compete. Big advertisers care about branding. They want to have the number 1 ad slot, and most of the time, they donâ™t really care what it costs. Now, in the old days, if their ad wasnâ™t getting clicks, the ad simply wouldnâ™t get shown (good for the small advertiser). But now, they can just pay more to have their ad shown. This was a good move by Google to get a lot more money in their pocket.3. Conversion rate becomes the key. If your site converts, you can afford to pay more per click, in turn, you can compete. If your site doesnâ™t convert, youâ™ll be eliminated by the big advertisers and/or the smart advertisers. Thatâ™s the bottom line. The first step is not getting the traffic to your site like so many teach. But conversely, itâ™s getting your site in a position to support the clicks.Here are 3 action steps you can work on to make sure that you will be competing in the Adwords game for some time to come. We realize that each of these steps can be broken down into months of work, but donâ™t let yourself get caught up in too many details. Just focus on these three things before you start getting too in depth with changing your Adwords accounts around, give each of them a quick rehaul, and make sure you know your numbers.1. You need to get educated and learn the system. Grouping keywords, writing good ads, keyword selection, itâ™s all equally important and will play a large role in the future of your Adwords campaign.2. Youâ™ll also need to get your site converting well enough to support these clicks. Otherwise youâ™ll lose money very quickly. The formula is [number of sales made / visitors to your site]. On the internet you should realistically be aiming for about 1%.3. Finally, you need to determine the visitor value of your site. This will tell you how much you can afford to bid on clicks. The formula is [dollars made by your site / visitors to your site]. Plan on bidding about 50% of your siteâ™s visitor value.So, in summary, if you want to compete in the Adwords marketplace in the future, you need to take action, actively monitor your account, and know your numbers. Your goal is to run a profitable business. If you focus on the three action steps above youâ™ll know your place in the market, youâ™ll be ready to compete, and youâ™ll make money using the new Adwords system.John Rooney and David Nevogt are well known ebook authors that focus on internet-based niche selling. If you have a website that is not performing or you want to learn how to frame a profitable business around an online product, subscribe to the newsletter at http://www.ebooksaleskit.com
Category : Biking

Your Fundraising Letter P.S.: 10 Ways to Write Powerful Postscripts.

2008-04-06T08:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Alan Sharpe

Your postscript is one of the most important parts of your
fundraising letter. It usually stresses the point of your letter
and asks for action. Some donors read it first. Some
professional writers write it first.

Since the P.S. is one part of your letter that you can be
confident your donors will read, you need to write something
there that will motivate donors to send you a gift or take your
desired action.

A donor reading a P.S. is a donor looking for information. And
that's your opportunity. So don't treat your postscript as an
afterthought. Here are some ideas to get you started on
finishing your letter.

1. SHOW WHAT A DONATION "BUYS"

"Remember, your gift of just $25.18 will provide a hot supper
every day for a week. Please give today."

2. MAKE YOUR DONOR MAD (AT THE PROBLEM YOU SOLVE)

"I've included a rather sad photo of a giant panda--a mother
who'd been nursing her new baby--who was killed by poachers.
Take a look. Then give some gift, of any amount, to stop tragic
panda deaths and help save these harmless and wonderful animals.
I am waiting to hear from you."

3. MENTION YOUR FRONT-END PREMIUM

"By the way, the enclosed 2006 calendar is a gift of thanks for
your support this year, and your continued support next year."

4. MENTION YOUR DEADLINE

"We must have your responses to the enclosed National Survey in
our hands within 10 days. Please complete and return it to us in
the enclosed postpaid envelope provided. If you'd like to join
the Rails to Trails Conservancy, simply mark the appropriate box
on the Survey form and mail it with your check in the enclosed
envelope."

5. SUGGEST A LARGER GIFT

"Your last gift was $250. If you could match it again (or even
increase it a little), I'd be mighty grateful to you."

6. DRAW ATTENTION TO AN IMPORTANT ENCLOSURE

"I've included with this letter an article about our response to
the recent gang violence. Your support right now is critical to
our work in this campaign. Many thanks."

7. INVITE YOUR DONOR TO TAKE ACTION

"If a loved one or friend of yours is addicted to drugs or
alcohol, please call 123 456-7891. Because of your financial
support, we're here to offer advice, help and professional
direction to those in need."

8. STRESS THE URGENCY OF YOUR APPEAL

"Tens of thousands of Angolans are at risk right now of starving
to death. We are already in the country helping, but we can only
do more if we receive more funds. Please help the people of
Angola. Send us a gift right now."

9. SHOW WHAT HAPPENS IF THE DONOR FAILS TO ACT

"I need to send this shipment of clothing to Liberia within 10
days or we will miss this opportunity. I am counting on you,
Alan, to help us right now with a gift of $50 or more."

10. ASK A QUESTION

"Do you know that our scholarships are supported entirely by
charitable donations? The Foundation does not receive any
funding from government, Sharelife or Catholic Charities of the
Archdiocese of Toronto. Please give generously to our Hope for
Children Foundation Scholarship Fund today."

Category : Travel Tips

Penny Stock Strategies

2008-04-05T13:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Spencer Soros
Why should the rich guys have all the fun? The small investor can seek out huge returns too...if they know how.

Technical analysis that uses statistics for forecasting price fluctuations is one approach. However, because it is difficult to track changes in fractions of a penny, there simply isnÃ‚â™t enough data to be able to analyze. Therefore, you have to keep an ear to the ground when you trade penny stocks.

One of the biggest forces that drive penny stock prices is hype. Whether itÃ‚â™s online in discussion forums or chats, or offline with publicity and press, hype can cause swings in penny stock prices.

Are you looking to trade penny stocks to earn a good return on your money? Penny stocks can be profitable for some, but it can also be a money-losing experience.

What should you watch for when you trade penny stocks?

What are some strategies that professionals and amateurs use when dabbling in the penny stock trade?

One technique that some experts who trade penny stocks implement is to focus on a particular stock. Get to know the stock inside and out; that is, get to know the company behind the stock, any news about that company, and anything else that might affect the stock price. Target one stock, listen to the buzz, and see how the stock responds. The louder the buzz gets, the larger the potential for a big price swing.

Many people who trade penny stocks are small-time investors who donÃ‚â™t have more than $1,000 of investment capital. These people trade penny stocks because it gives them more shares for the money.

Where they might be able to buy dozens of shares in a major exchange such as the New York Stock Exchange, they can buy hundreds when they trade penny stocks. The potential for loss is big, however. ItÃ‚â™s almost closer to gambling than investing. The money used is strictly risk capital. Once the money is gone, itÃ‚â™s gone.

Another subset of people that trade penny stocks are amateur investors who use the buy and hold strategy. They purchase a stock and retain it for long periods of time, hoping that the stock skyrockets at some point in the future.

Unfortunately, this strategy hardly ever pays off in the way that the investor had hoped. In the long-term, the stock could end up being completely worthless.

Trading penny stocks can be a profitable, and even fun way to invest. It certainly isnÃ‚â™t a traditional method of investing, and is unlike old standbys such as bonds and mutual funds. However, trading penny stocks isnÃ‚â™t for all people.

You should have a high tolerance for risk, a willingness to analyze every minutiae of your penny stock, and some intestinal fortitude. Have fun with penny stock trading, but donÃ‚â™t expect to stumble into the next WalMart for pennies on the dollar.

And remember, as with anything else in life with high potential for gain there is also high potential for loss. Do your homework, follow your rules, and plan to prosper.

Brain Development with the Abacus

2008-04-04T18:00:00.001-07:00

Author : David Shaw

Children have an amazing ability to learn, but their vast brain potential is not always nurtured to the fullest extent.With the proper guidance and tools, children as young as 4 or 5 are capable of mastering mathematical skills and calculating ability that will yield benefits that last a lifetime."Learning Mathematics with the Abacus" is a set of books offering simple, enjoyable instructions for using the abacus, an ancient calculating device that provides modern children with valuable mental stimulation and proficiency in mathematics.Scientific analyses indicate abacus training can improve a child's ability to:concentratevisualizememorizeobserve, andprocess information.But how can it accomplish all that, and so much more?Our brain has two hemispheres, the left brain and the right brain. About 95% of our children use only the left brain, which provides the ability to analyze information concerning languages and sound. But the right side of the brain, which is focused on thinking, creativity and integration of information, needs to be used and stimulated as well.Learning to use the abacus can help develop this right brain/left brain integration.When children use both hands to move abacus beads in arithmetic calculations, it stimulates cells in both the right and left sides of the brain. This results in quick, balanced whole brain development, leading to greater mental capacity. Using the abacus, a child can do all arithmetic calculations up to 10 digits without relying on an electronic calculator.Nurtureminds publishes "Learning Mathematics with the Abacus" as well as abacus and mental arithmetic reference materials. We offer three books with simple step-by-step instructions that make learning the abacus enjoyable. Beginners use the Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year 1 textbook and activity book to start adding and subtracting numbers up to 100. They begin by identifying the different parts of the abacus, holding and using it correctly, mastering the right fingering technique in moving the beads, and learning to visualize as they calculate.The Learning Mathematics with the Abacus Year 2 textbook focuses on addition and subtraction of numbers up to 1,000, and develops addition and multiplication skills.These books have been used by tens of thousands of students in Malaysia and many other nations. They are regarded as the best abacus learning books for children on the market. Activities in these books have been carefully designed and structured by our panel of academicians, curriculum specialists and instructional designers to ensure that pupils not only learn mathematics effectively, but also develop the ability to perform mental calculations.With these books, you can help your child achieve more than just math skills. You can boost your childs confidence, provide a sense of achievement, promote intuitive thinking, enhance problem-solving capability, enhance creativity, and improve concentration and mental endurance.Find out more on why our books are becoming increasingly popular in many countries like Malaysia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, India, Singapore and elsewhere. They have become valuable teaching tools in schools, tuition centers and community centers, and are used by homeschooling parents around the world. David Shaw is a private tutor and focuses on mental math techniques.

Category : General Education: Home Schooling

The Traumatic Aftereffects of Difficult Childbirth Experiences Misunderstood by Doctors

2008-04-03T13:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD
Many women have difficulty giving birth and have been traumatized by this sometimes life-threatening experience. Trauma after a troubling birth experience can have a devastating impact on the post partum or post natal period. Birth trauma can be caused by multiple factors and is usually accompanied with: blame, shame or guilt. Trauma after childbirth leaves the same sense of post traumatic stress that can occur in any other unhealed traumatic situation. The aftereffects of Post Traumatic Response (PTR) are both emotional and physical ailments, trouble bonding with the child, failing marriages and a fear of having more children.Women often say, âœIâ™m not sure if my case is severe enough." But then they say theyâ™re still having recurring nightmares nine years after the birth of their child...or that theyâ™ve never bonded to their child. Some women who think they havenâ™t had any of the symptoms are the ones who are the most severely traumatized.The symptoms of PTR include classic post traumatic stress disorder symptoms such as hyper-vigilance, nightmares, anxiety, depression and heightened startle response. Also, thereâ™s usually disturbance in the sexual relationship with the partner. Sometimes itâ™s due to a physical conditionâ"fourth degree peritoneal tears, a fractured pelvis, etc.
Part of the problem is that these women are often misdiagnosed as having postpartum depression. They have anxiety, depression, and theyâ™re very fearful--Thatâ™s usually all a doctor asks and thatâ™s all the women say.But the symptomatology wonâ™t match PTR unless the professional asks the right questions. Questions specifically relating to PTR are:â¢ Is there an increase in your startle response?â¢ Has your sense of safety been impaired/shattered?â¢ Are you avoiding people or places related to childbirth?â¢ Do the smells associated with childbirth catapult you back to the delivery room? When a woman canâ™t bear to go past the hospital or go to that doctor, or wonâ™t talk about the delivery, is a strong indication that she is suffering with PTR to childbirth.â¢ Have you experienced flashbacks, irritability, panic attacks, hyper-vigilance, nightmares, avoidance, anger, mood swings, numbed emotions, difficulty sleeping, disconnected from self, baby and partner, unexplained sadness, indifference and a sense that something isn't 'right.'Like Post Traumatic Stress, Post Traumatic Response to childbirth needs professional attention specifically focused on healing the trauma. The Association for Pre- & Perinatal Psychology and Health - P.O. Box 1398, Forestville, CA 95436 Maureen Wolfe, C.N.M., Executive Director Telephone/Fax: 707-887-2838 can provide referrals and information.Dorothy M. Neddermeyer, PhD specializes in: Mind, Body, Spirit healing, Post Traumatic Healing and Physical/Sexual Abuse Recovery. As an inspirational leader, Dr. Neddermeyer empowers people to view life's challenges as an opportunity for Personal/Professional Growth and Spiritual Awakening. http://www.drdorothy.net
Category : Innovation

When to Use a Financial Consultant

2008-04-03T12:00:00.001-07:00

Author : John Mussi
The time may come when you find your finances are getting beyond your control… maybe your bills are piling up, or perhaps you just find that you aren't sure which financial decisions to make. In either case, you might find some benefit from visiting a financial consultant and getting them to assist you in taking control of your financial life once again. While a financial consultant won't be able to take care of all of your financial problems or advise you on all matters, those that they can offer assistance or advice for are well worth it.If you think that you might consider utilizing a financial consultant, then the information provided below should shed a little more light on this profession and help you to decide whether this is what you need.What a Financial Consultant DoesAs the title implies, a financial consultant is an individual who offers you advice on a variety of financial matters. This can mean that they assist you with budgeting your money more successfully so that you have more available for what you need, or they might offer suggestions as to wise investments and retirement plans. In general a financial consultant can assist you with several different aspects of finance, and are a good source of information and advice when you seem indecisive about financial issues. Some financial consultants may also offer accounting or brokerage services, depending upon where they are located and if they are appropriately licensed to do so.Deciding If You Need a Financial ConsultantIn order to determine whether or not you need a financial consultant, you should look at the current state of your finances and see how well you are handling them. Do you find yourself constantly worrying about making the right financial decisions? Have you been putting off making certain investments because you're not entirely sure if it's the right one for you? Are you worried that you're going to make critical errors when dealing with some of your financial matters? If these questions sound remotely like you, then you might want to consider looking into local financial consulting services. Should you later find that a financial consultant is not for you, you can always stop utilizing their services.Finding Local Financial ConsultantsIn order to find local financial consultants, you should use your telephone directory or your preferred internet search engine and see what options are available in your area in regards to financial consulting firms. It's generally best to hire a financial consultant who lives and works in the same area that you do because they are much more likely to be familiar with the local community and economy than one who does business with you from a distance or online. Just because a financial consultant is in your area doesn't mean that they are the right one for your needs, however… just like with all things relating to finance you should shop around and make sure that you're getting the most for your money and the best financial advice that you can.Choosing the Right Financial ConsultantDon't be afraid to ask for references or credentials from a prospective financial consultant… they should be glad to give you the information that you want. Compare the experience and references that you receive from several different consultants, and once you decide upon a particular one begin with a trial of their services. If they work well for you, then you can continue working with them; if they aren't right for you and your needs, then you might want to find someone else.John Mussi is the founder of Direct Online Loans who help homeowners find the best available loans via the http://www.directonlineloans.co.uk website.
Category : Finance:Personal-Finance

Six Ways To Attract New Customers To Your Restaurant

2008-04-02T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Habiba Abubakar
Without new business, your restaurant won't be able to grow. You need a constant stream of new customers to replace those you lose as a result of customers relocating, switching jobs, or changing dining habits. Here are six strategies for getting more customers through your doors.

1. Market Your Restaurant In Hotel RoomsBusiness travellers and people on holiday may not be familiar enough with your town to know where to find an excellent meal. You can give them a hand simply by doing some hotel room marketing. Talk to hotels within your three-mile radius area and ask if you can place menus and advertisements in their rooms and lobby area. Some hotels have a "Nearby Attractions" list which they provide for their guests. You can ask to be added to the list. When guests get hungry and start trying to figure out where to eat, you'll be one of the first restaurants to come to mind.

2. Form A Strategic Alliance With Event VenuesAfter a concert or sporting event, people are hungry and want to eat. Remember that people sometimes travel a long distance to come to these events, so they don't want to travel home on an empty stomach. One venue in the United States showed a nearby restaurant's advert on all of the venue monitors between concert acts. After the concert was over, that restaurant was packed with concert goers. You can do your part by promoting upcoming events of that venue at your restaurant.

3. Enter ContestsOne of the biggest ways to get some media attention and, therefore, to attract new business is by winning a contest. For example, enter your chef in a cooking contest. Read restaurant publications and browse the Internet to find out about any contests you may be able to enter. If all else fails, create your own contest and invite local restaurants to participate. Then, even if you lose, you'll still generate great publicity and get new patrons in your door.

4. Sell Gift CertificatesYour loyal customers may want their friends and family members to give you a try. Provide them with your gift certificates, so they can buy these as presents for loved ones. A gift certificate allows the recipient to try your restaurant completely risk-free since they usually don't have to pay anything for the experience. Plus, each gift certificate serves as a referral to your establishment. Make sure your gift certificates come in flexible amounts so that buyers have the freedom to decide how much to spend.

5. Give Samples Out At Busy LocationsSend your food on the road if you really want to lure in new customers. Go to locations that have a lot of human traffic, such as shopping centres, supermarkets, parks, etc, and offer samples of some of your most tasty food to everyone that passes by. When they stop to take a sample, give out a menu, business card, or a coupon so that they'll know exactly where they can go in order to taste more of your scrumptious food.

6. Offer "Happy Hour" SpecialsAt the end of a hard day, many workers want to relax and unwind before heading home, so invite them to your restaurant for some "happy hour" specials. Drink specials and low-price finger food buffets are both good ideas. You could also have Frequent Diner cards for happy patrons so that after so many drinks they receive a free drink or a discount on their meal if they decide to stay for dinner. Inform all local businesses about your offer.Copyright © 2004 Habiba Abubakar and Emprez. All rights reserved. Habiba Abubakar, a.k.a. Restaurant Marketing Diva, is the author of 40 Proven Strategies For Attracting A Continuous Flow Of New Customers To Your Restaurant. Habiba helps restaurant owners and managers who are struggling to attract more customers and are finding it hard to build customer loyalty. Be sure to sign up for your FREE copy of her revealing report, FOUR Things You Can Do To Skyrocket Your Restaurant's Profits In 90 Days or Less. Just go to http://www.emprez.com.
Category : Business:Marketing

Wake Up! Time for Coffee!

2008-04-02T01:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Greg Mee

The vast majority of coffees from around the world are either Arabica or Robusta. Arabica has about 60-80% of the market. It tends to be better flavored and have less caffeine than the Robusta, but some Robustas are good by themselves and they're frequently blended with Arabica. Various other coffee types make up the rest of the market, but they aren't what you're going to find on your grocery store shelf. For example, Kona coffee comes from the Hawaiian islands and is a relatively rare, quite expensive bean. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee is also rare and expensive. More so when hurricanes wipe out the crop. Look into specialty coffee shops or online stores and see what they have to offer. Explore a little and you might just find the perfect bean. Traditionally, the owners of the coffee plantations, coffee brokers, and the processing companies made pretty much all the money from the coffee we buy. The people doing the actual work and harvesting made pennies. Fair trade coffee is an attempt to change that. The Fair Trade program tries to ensure that the workers and growers get a fair share of the price of the coffee. So while "Fair Trade" coffee isn't a different kind of bean the intent behind it might make that coffee taste a little better. If you're looking to buy the fancier coffee beans (pre-roasted) just go to your favorite coffee house (Peet's Coffee, Starbucks, or where ever) or your favorite grocery store. More and more stores are starting to carry the fancier coffees. You can either grind the beans right there in the store, or take them home to do yourself. More and more people are going this route, rather than buying ground coffee in a can. (Does it taste like mud because it was ground?) Green coffee is coffee that has not yet been roasted. The "cherry" may have been removed and the beans dried, but that's it. What you find in the stores has been roasted and processed. An advantage to the green coffee is that it stores very well. You could buy a quantity of your favorite coffee in its green state, and then roast small amounts when the mood suits you. That way you'll always have the freshest coffee. Of course, you'll have to make room on your kitchen counter for a coffee roaster, along with whatever type of coffee maker you own. Coffee roasters are available in a variety of styles and price ranges, just like coffee makers. Many online stores, such as Amazon.com, have a great selection in all price ranges. Some of these are the single cup coffee machines, which are great for the person on the go. Instead of having 10 or 12 cups cooking away you make just the one cup, to your taste, and off you go. We're all familiar with the old style drip coffee pot, of course. Load the coffee, boil and brew, and serve many. While many of us still like this style of coffee, there is a rapid growth in the number of people buying espresso machines. An espresso coffee machine differs a bit from the standard machine. Espresso is made when highly pressurized steam is forced through packed down, finely ground coffee. The first few drops out contain the concentrated goodness of the coffee and the standard serving is just over one ounce. It'll wake you right up. If it doesn't, have another.Coffee machines vary greatly in features and price. The fancier machines will wash the dishes and clean the kitchen. Well, maybe not. But some of them will not only brew your coffee or espresso, they'll grind the beans! All you do is pour your coffee beans in one end, hit the button, and a fresh cup of coffee or espresso comes out. Love coffee? Want to pick up a few things about different coffees and coffee machines? Stop on by Bmall's Coffee House and see what strikes your fancy. 2006 by Greg Mee and bmall.com. Permission to use this articles is granted as long as the links remain live.

Category : General Lifestyle: Food / Beverage

DOUBLE Your Profits from These TEN Tips on Sending Email Ads

2008-04-01T20:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Radhika Venkata
1. Make your ad prominent:This can be done by keeping special characters like *, >, # , = etc.
You can put these on top and bottom of your 5 line ad. Leave an
extra white spce above and below your ad. This gap pulls readers
eyes towards that spot.2. Offer a discount:Make it time sensitive. It will encourage your subscriber to check the
product as soon as he sees the link. When they come to your website, try to
get their email. Offer a free ecourse or free download. Once they provide
their email, you can follow up them with your follow up autoresponder.http://www.scripts4webmasters.com/follow-up-autoresponder-pro/index.shtml3. Use one line attractive heading:Like "THREE Day Dis*count offer!"
"FR*EE Upgrades!"Remember while you using certain words like free, discount, unsubscribe,
debt, money etc which are spam trigger words.http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/assistance/HA010450051033.aspxhttp://www.andreaoneill.com/spamtriggers.html4. Ad position:Use Top or middle space in the ezine/emailing for your ad. More
chances to be clicked by the reader.5. Target Ezine:Don't select the ezine based on price or number of subscribers. Select
the ezine in which you are wishing to promote your email ad based on
the similarity between your product/service and the ezine.The more it targeted, more will be the click throughs and buyers. For
example, if you send an ad related to golf to self-improvement ezines,
it's not going pull much results. You should send it to sports ezine
subscribers especially golf ezines.6. Tracking the ads:You can track your ads by using any online tracking software or by
creating a seperate html page for that ad. This way you can know which
ad pulling good results.7. Tip on selecting an Ezine:Check if the ezine that you are going to send the ad is published on the
web. Means some ezine publishers post their ezines online as archives. If
they did, your ad will become a source for the visitors as the ezine get
indexed in the search engine results.8. Subscribe yourself:Subscribe to the ezine that you want to send your ad. And follow up few
publications. How ads will be placed, how many ads per issue, any bonus
or discount offered on bulk order, how good the articles are etc etc.
This way you can estimate the reliability of an ezine.9. Price does matters:If you want to display your product/service price, do it in a way that
it will look cheaper. For example, don't say $25.00/month. Say it -
"Less than 80 cents per day to get the Exact results you want!"10. URLs in your email ads:Check your urls working or not. Don't put long links, they may breakup
so they give 404 errors. Put the link that takes the person directly
to your product page. Don't let them land on home page and expect to
dig on your web site for the product link.Radhika Venkata (c)Radhika Venkata
Subscribe to 'iNet Marketing Ezine' which is completely focused on
Internet Marketing. Receive FREE Ebooks with Resale rights!
http://www.webmasters-central.com/subscribe.shtmlFREE Ecourse: 30 days Solid work out to increase your online profits!
http://www.ebooks-world.com/ecourse/index.shtml
Category : Business:Email-Marketing

Is a Niche or General Web Directory Better Which to Choose?

2008-04-01T19:00:00.001-07:00

Author : James Smithston

Web directories are listing of sites on the web. They usually are grouped together by categories and these can be generalized on a broad surface or a more specific surface. A niche web directory is a web directory designed for a specific topic. All the topics and categories in that web directory are going to be related to the main topic in the directory. A general web directory is just as it sounds. It provides a general listing of variety of topic that may or not be related to each other. In order to decided which one to choose for your website you need to determine what you want to get out of the web directory. If you simply want a reliable site that has some back linking potential, a site that will be relevant totally to yours, that will help to generate content specific traffic, as well as attract people to your site. Then you most likely will want a niche directory. These sites help list sites that meet the needs of the searchers and a niche directory does just that. The decision to pick a niche or general web directory is decided by the needs of your site and the type of traffic you want to generate to your site. More specific and relevant traffic comes from a niche directory and more general traffic comes from a general directory. Both directories provide you with great results and both generate traffic to your site. One simply does a better job of getting to your targeted audience faster. Only you can decide which directory is best for you. Either one will generate traffic or that of course, is what they are meant to do. Do you want a mixture of both? Use both then. There is nothing wrong with doing just that. Written by James Smithston. Get SEO benefits by having your site listed on our web directory. Submitting your site to directories like eonte will help boost your website's link strength.

Category : General Webmasters

Search Engine Optimization Explained

2008-04-01T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Ted Prodromou
Search Engine Listing And OptimizationIn the world of website marketing, search engines are an essential key to success. They are the most important way to bring traffic to your website. Understanding how search engines work and what they require is an important first step to harnessing their marketing power.The two types of search engines can be characterized as active and passive. An active engine utilizes crawl technology that constantly searches out websites, adds them to its database and creates listings automatically with what it finds. Passive engines require registration of your website directly with them and rely on editors to add your site to their directory. As search engines have evolved, many have adopted a combination of passive and active strategies.Search engine optimization is the utilization of techniques that will assure that search engines find and include your website in their databases. There are proven methods to search engine marketing involving website design and content adaptation, and keyword strategy. The primary goal of these methods is to bring traffic to your site. The secondary goal is for that traffic to be targeted to your product. In the internet marketing game, exposure is essential. But marketing efficiency requires effective exposure to the right prospects.Customer Delivery By Search EngineValiss's knowledge of search engines and how to position your website for optimal exposure can help your website top its market. Search engine optimization must be a central part of your internet marketing plan. By refining your website, Valiss will enable search engines to deliver more of your prospective customers to your site.Ted Prodromou spent over 25 years in the computer industry working for IBM, Digital, and Cellular one. Today he's the owner of Valiss IT, a consulting firm that provides small business coaching and marketing help. He's also a certified personal and professional coach.Ted has created and led many coaching workshops and today is helping small businesses automate their marketing with his latest coaching program, "Attract Clients While You Sleep". For more information visit http://www.valiss.com/specials.If you would like to download his free report "How To Attract Clients While You Sleep" visit http://www.valiss.com.You are free to distribute this article, providing it remains unchanged and with the resource / bio box attached.
Category : Business:SEO

Why You Need Boat Insurance

2008-04-01T00:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Ian D. Major
Some people simply overlook boat insurance. They think that nothing bad is going to happen, when in reality, bad things often happen involving boats!

If you own a boat, you need boat insurance. In fact, many states now require boat owners to carry Watercraft Liability insurance before they transport or operate a boat. If your boat has been financed, your lender will almost always require you to carry full coverage boat insurance.

Again, most people don't think anything bad will happen Ã‚â" but bad things do indeed occur!

Vandalism is one problem that you may encounter. This is especially true if you dock your boat in a marina. Vandalism can also occur when you park your boat at your home, or at a hotel when traveling.

When you shop for insurance, make sure that vandalism is covered on your policy. Most issuers of boat insurance will only offer you the Watercraft Liability Ã‚â" but in most cases, you need more coverage than that! Theft is another possibility. Cars are stolen all the time Ã‚â" but boats are stolen as well. In fact, stealing a boat is easier than stealing a car!

Boat insurance should cover you in the event of vandalism, theft, sinking, fire, storms, capsizing, stranding, collision, and explosion. Furthermore, the insurance should cover the boat, the motor, and the trailer used to transport the boat. The boat should be covered no matter who is operating the boat, as long as they are legally allowed to operate the vessel.

Boat insurance will typically cover you in the event of malfunction as well. If something happens to your motor, it should be covered by your insurance. It should also cover you in the event that your boat needs to be towed back to shore.

What you are covered for depends on what type of coverage you purchased through your insurance agent. For this reason, it is important to know what type of coverage is available. Not all insurance companies will offer all types of coverage, but they will offer Watercraft Liability and Watercraft Medical payments.

Watercraft liability covers you just like car liability insurance protects you in the event of an accident where you are found to be at fault. Medical payments will cover medical expenses incurred by you and the occupants of your boat that are the result of a boating accident in the covered water vessel.

Optional insurance usually includes coverage for reasonable repairs, emergency services to your boat, motor, or boat trailer, and wreck removal. Wreck removal is very important coverage to have. If you boat sinks, it will need to be raised before an insurance company can access the damages and pay your claim. This is very expensive, and in most states, the law requires you to remove wrecked or sunken vessels.

Boats may be luxury items Ã‚â" but they are very expensive luxury items.

Repairing or replacing a boat may not be something that you can easily afford Ã‚â" but in most cases, you will find that boat insurance is quite affordable. However, if you are thinking in terms of cost, and you think that you cannot afford the boat coverage, you can be certain that you will not be able to afford to repair or replace the boat either!

No matter how you look at it, you need boat insurance, even if you just purchase the watercraft liability coverage. Again, most states now require this liability coverage for water vessels, and if the boat is financed, the optional coverage may be required as well.

Discuss your boat insurance coverage needs with your insurance agent to determine what coverage is right for you and your boat.

Quit Smoking Tips, Ways and Support: A Step to a Better Life

2008-03-31T11:00:00.000-07:00

Author : Jasdeep Singh
Nobody need to be told the ill-effects of the smoking. Even then, smokers find it very hard to give up smoking permanently. Nicotine, an integral part of cigarette, is an addictive substance. As you try to give up smoking, your way of life changes. The natural tendency of your body would be to oppose this change as by now, it has become hungry for nicotine. But, smoking has unlimited side effects which cant be ignored. So, here are some tips to give up smoking in a planned and a more comfortable way.----> To know ill-effects of smoking, visit http://www.weightloss-health.com/quit_smoking_ways.htm. It might open your eyes!The question which immediately strikes our mind, How? how to give up smoking?. Make up your mind and live up to your commitment: Giving up smoking wont be a piece of cake for you. So you need to be highly committed towards your goal. Make a list of reasons for quitting smoking and keep that list with you 247. Always go through the list when you have an urge to smoke. It will help you keeping cigarettes away.. Get right support, guidance and encouragement: Ask your family and friends to support you during these days. Their support can make it easier for you. Consult your doctor for medical advice. He can give you helpful telephone hotlines numbers or self help material. Most important of all, you can enroll yourself in some recommended QUIT SMOKING program. Good programs covers all the material which you need to give up smoking. They also suggest nicotine replacement products which are not addictive but still help you keep off nicotine. They are highly effective and results remain permanent.. Don't give up even when you badly want to smoke: Increase your will power. You and only you can make it happen. Remember, "Those who stand for nothing, fall for anything."Remember, you will not die if you stop smoking. You might feel hungrier in the beginning which can lead to a minor weight gain but trust me, it is all worth giving up smoking for minor weight gain. You may have problems concentrating and you will be uncomfortable in the beginning. But, this is all a part of a game and with time, you will start leading a healthier and a normal life.Many ex-smokers did not succeed at first, but they kept trying. So DONT GIVE UP and MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU!Jasdeep: for http://weightloss-health.com/ your complete and most comprehensive family guide on Health.Look out for highly recommended quit smoking programs and quit smoking tips and ways at Quit Smoking Programs, Ways and TipsIf you wish to reproduce the above article you are welcome to do so, provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this resource box and LIVE link to our website.
Category : Leadership

Why Is Spiritual Truth So Elusive?

2008-03-31T02:00:00.001-07:00

Author : dreamdatum

Why is spiritual truth so elusive? Why is it that matters of spiritual significance are so hard to verify and validate?I have been pondering hard on this subject for quite sometime. And these are my conclusions.Spiritual truth is so elusive possibly because of several factors. They are as listed below: 1. Many seekers are using the wrong modes of seeking. What do I mean by this? Firstly we try to relate and uncover spiritual truth and reality with our own thinking faculty. This will lead us to nowhere because spiritual reality is what is encapsulating our limited thinking faculty. Spiritual reality is in a way 'beyond' the normal thinking mode assigned by a personality/self. No offence, but most people are doing this precisely. As such believers can ONLY believe and NOT experience divine spiritual reality.My first experiences of Divine Consciousness were during meditation sessions. Very significantly, during these meditations, thoughts and thinking were much reduced. In a state of no thought (Yes and I mean not a single thought!), we will experience ourselves clearly as an all-pervading Presence. It is during these moments that one discover that the world and ourselves is not what it appears to be. And we suddenly understand what the ancients Sages from various traditions were talking about.2. Being conditioned by societies' beliefs. Our upbringing very much demarcated what should be real and what's not. And this is supported by a very convincing structure based on scientific proving and visual/experiential validation.Let me illustrate this point further... Since childhood, education and adults have been telling us what is correct and what is not. We all have been brainwashed to think like one another. As such our sense of identity has been influenced by our fed information and beliefs. Do you know that prior to any acquired learning, a child relates to the world very differently? Much of how we perceive the world is learnt... and is fundamentally different from our natural way of referencing. However, learnt ways are certainly not negative; it is just that modern societal influences tend to suppress and discourage certain in-born cognitive abilities such as intuitive clairvoyance. And intuitiveness is a necessary ingredient for efficient spiritual navigation.3. We think we know it all. When we think we know it all. The thought of 'I know it all' will block us from knowing anything deeply. Why this that so? Because a 'know-it-all' will not seek to know deeply and therefore will not go deep enough... Well, in a nutshell, these are my findings.Thanks for reading. The author is a guy living in the Far East. He runs a self-growthresource site at http://www.dreamdatum.comThis site offers a free dream interpretation software athttp://www.dreamdatum.com/dda20-free.html

Category : General Religion: Other

Best Restaurants in Miami

2008-03-31T00:00:00.001-07:00

Author : restaurantplace

Baleen Miami, perfectly set with the shimmering ocean and the illuminated Miami skyline, this Miami restaurant has topped the charts for Restaurantplace.com?s favorite Miami restaurant for a romantic evening. Located in Grove Isle?s Hotel and Spa, Baleen Miami offers one of the best oceanfront dining experiences that is a seafood lover?s dream come true. Although very expensive, it is well worth it for those special occasions, as whoever may accompany you will truly appreciate your pick. To ensure that your experience is the best that it should be, request a table that faces the ocean before hand as these tables are limited. Baleen?s Menu: We had the opportunity to enjoy a few great appetizers and entrees that were overlooked by executive chef Donna Whyter formerly of Nikki Marina and Donna?s Bistro. Our table expressed rave reviews for the Lobster Bisque with Lobster & Cr?me Fraiche ($13.50), the Tuna Tataki with Ponzu sauce ($14.95), and the abnormally large Crab Cakes with Avocado Salad ($13.50). For the Entrees, the Chinese Fried Snapper was cooked to perfection which was accompanied by coconut rice ($29.95) and the Kansas City Sirloin Steak that had a delectable herbed butter ($48.95). The Latin Mahi, which encompasses the local Miami flare, was served with a roast jalapeno-tomato mash and chimichurri sauce ($27.95). Ortanique on the Mile, located on Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, is Restaurantplace.com?s favorite all-round restaurant in Miami. This small yet splendid restaurant, which features eclectic Caribbean cuisine, is perfect for any occasion such as Mother?s Day, a first date, or a get together of old friends. Ortanique?s Menu: While dining at Ortanique, we enjoyed the West Indian Curried Crab Cakes ($16.00), which had a subtle but noticeable curried taste, and Ceviche Del Mar, which was the catch of the day. For the Main Course, we recommend the Black Angus Beef Tenderloin ($40) accompanied by manchego-truffled mashed potatoes. Another favorite is the Jerk Chicken Penne Pasta ($19) accompanied with sun dried tomatoes and shitake mushrooms in a cream sauce. The Horseradish Crusted Scottish Salmon ($28) is also very delicious. Novecento in Brickell is RestaurantPlace.com?s favorite happy hour restaurant in Miami. Novecento, an Argentinean Miami Restaurant with a hint of Mediterranean and Pan-Latin cuisine, is a favorite among locals as it is great place to start your Friday evening. This restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating, which for the latter, is especially lovely in the cooler months from November to February. Novecento is a fun place to wind down, meet new people, and have a few drinks with a great meal.Novecento?s Menu: For happy hour, we recommend the Quesadillas ($7.95) and Seafood Tempura ($7.95). These scrumptious appetizers should keep you satisfied while you enjoy your drinks. For an entr?e, we suggest trying the Milanga ($11.95), which is pounded beef or chicken that comes lightly breaded.Las Culebrinas in the Grove, located on SW 27th Avenue and east of US 1, is our choice for best Cuban restaurant in Miami. If you can?t speak Spanish, don?t be intimidated as the staff is always accommodating and happy to serve you. With three other locations to serve you, Las Culebrinas in the Grove is always packed for dinner. Las Culebrinas?s Menu: Las Culebrinas?s bread and garlic herbed butter is a mighty combination that gets the appetite going. With an abundant menu items to choose from, you will most likely need a couple extra minute when your server comes by for your order. We recommend the Salpicon de Mariscos ($7.50), which is a seafood combo in vinaigrette sauce, and the Camarones al Ajillo ($6.95), which is shrimp saut?ed in garlic sauce. Tantra restaurant is the place to try if you want to get a real sense of South Beach. If you are not a local or unaccustomed to the Miami Beach restaurant scene, Tantra may be a bit shocking to you. RestaurantPlace.com picks Tantra as the Best Miami Beach Restaurant to bring your out of town friends to. After entering Tantra from the fresh cut grass, get ready to have your senses aroused with scented Jasmine candles, music, sexual d?cor, and most importantly, the eclectic cuisine. Currently, Tantra is one of the trendiest restaurants in Miami and is considered to be a Monday night hotspot. Be prepared to see the chic locals here. Tantra?s Menu: Don?t get too overwhelmed by the sultry names given to their appetizers. The Tantra Love Apple is definitely worth a try. Layered with Laura Chenel goat cheese, this Homestead tomato is sliced and drizzled with basil oil and pomegranate seeds. For a seafood entr?e, we highly recommend the Florida Keys Black Grouper pan seared or the Ginger Kissed Salmon. For the Land lovers, the Double Cut Rack of Veal with Porcini will never disappoint you. To get more information on Miami Restaurants or to view the menu, visit http://www.restaurantplace.com. Samantha Ferguson is the co-founder of http://www.restaurantplace.com, which is a free restaurant guide featuring restaurant menus for consumers to view when making dining decisions.

Category : Restaurants

Anti Spam at the Enterprise Level

2008-03-30T21:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Richard Keir
Every one of us knows how spam impacts us. Every day we either get a ton of spam - or if we're fairly well protected by spam filters - only a few pieces.Like a large number of people, I don't use any spam filters. Ah. You think I'm insane. But wait. My problem is that I get a lot of email from marketing types which I want to receive. And the spam filtering software is not very sensitive to my needs. Even white-listing doesn't always work. So, I prefer to get all that spam and just delete it.Now this solution can work for me despite the time it takes to delete my daily overdose of spam. However, at the enterprise level, it's a whole different story. If you have a relatively large internal network with even a modest number of email users, you're looking at a major problem. And the more users you have, the worse the problem is.Sure, you can put up software on the mail server. Works, kind of. But pretty soon you may find you need to upgrade the mail server. And that's after you already put it on a stand-alone machine.Rather than continuing to buy ever more expensive software to run on a machine that keeps needing to be upgraded, you might want to think about a dedicated anti spam appliance.To give you some idea of what's possible let's take a look at Barracuda Networks dedicated anti spam appliance. All you need to do is put this baby in front of your mail server. I say baby, advisedly because this one will learn by doing and by training provided by your users.Dean Drako, CEO of Barracuda Networks said, "Bayesian filtering is still one of the most accurate defenses against spam. The new plug-ins allow users to directly train the Bayesian filter, making the Barracuda Spam Firewall even more accurate based on the users individual email preferences. Viruses and other threats can infect the network quickly if they are not stopped at the network edge. With Intent Analysis our customers have an advantage over these threats because the Barracuda Spam Firewall is able to block them real time. Consequently we have consistently been a first responder when some of the most malicious virus attacks have hit, saving our customers from potentially devastating damage to their networks."This is one beautiful little machine. A Barracuda Spam Firewall can support from 1,000 to 30,000 active users. It can usually be installed in less than five minutes and receives automatic hourly updates for new forms of spam and viruses. It has a 10 layer defense system beyond the use of open source anti spam and anti virus solutions: denial of service and security protection, IP block list, rate control, virus check with archive decompression, proprietary virus check, user specified rules, spam fingerprint check, Intent Analysis, spam rule-based scoring, and Bayesian analysis. Plus it also does both inbound and outbound email filtering with the inclusion of sophisticated outbound email filtering techniques (just in case you've got a spam zombie on board or somebody's got an infected PC).However, it isn't exactly cheap. Still, when you consider the time, bandwidth, user frustration and potential hardware upgrade costs, the price may look a lot more reasonable. You can check it out at http://www.barracudanetworks.com/If you are in the market for an anti-spam appliance, the Barracuda Spam Firewall isn't your only choice. The impact of spam on internet businesses - even those who primarily use it for just email - is so great that a simple search for "anti spam appliance" will find you a number of alternatives to examine. Even McAfee is getting into the anti spam hardware game.I'm hoping that it won't be too long before I can pick up a Bayesian multi-level anti spam, anti virus firewall appliance for my home PC that keeps me safe and cuts my need to delete without deep-sixing the email I want or costing me more than I can afford. I suspect it's on the way.Copyright 2005 Richard KeirRichard writes in a variety of areas involving eBusiness and the internet. For more on spam visit http://anti-spam.werkz.org and for general eCommerce go to http://building-ecommerce-websites.com
Category : Business:Spam-Blocker

Everything About Website Directories

2008-03-29T01:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Antonious Thompson

Many of us are familiar with a telephone book or an address book. This is an organized listing of private and business numbers and street addresses. This same concept has been applied to the listing of websites. When someone creates and launches a new website onto the Internet usually that individual wonders how their website will be viewed by the general public. There are over eighty million websites that are currently in operation. This is a lot of competition. Whatever type of new website that is launched there is a high probability that a website already exists that is very similar to the new website.In order to better organize and to allow a website to appear more visible on the Internet website directories were created. A website directory lists numerous websites in several different main categories and then subcategories. For example someone listing under the main category of sports can list under the subcategories of extreme sports, equestrian and so on. This allows a website to be found more easily by the general public. There are two different kinds of website directories. One type of website directory is a website directory.A website directory is a place in which an individual or business can list their website, ultimately bringing in more traffic. This is a service that is fantastic for an individual or business that is working within a very limited budget. There are several different website directories that an individual or business can choose from. One are free website directories, but these don't provide the quality links that many webmasters are looking for. The other is a paid web directory, where you will find SEO friendly links back to your site.The downside to listing in a free website directory is that this type of directory is usually less organized; more crowded and has pop-up advertisements. The plus side to listing with a website directory is that this is a simple way to increase the visibility of your website. You may decide to opt instead for SEO friendly paid web directories instead. These sites provide a better alternative to free website directories because they don't have a bunch of bad quality links. Written by Antonious Thompson. Find the latest Unique Paid Directory as well as the best Quality Paid Directory

Category : General Webmasters

Your E-Commerce Website and Search Engine Optimization

2008-03-28T18:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Barry Hooper

E-Commerce has been around only since the early 1990s, when Amazon.com and eBay.com became two of the first companies to sell products on the Internet. But E-Commerce is already revolutionizing the way goods are bought and sold around the world.Buyers love E-Commerce because they can ?shop till they drop? while lounging at home in their pajamas or riding the subway during rush hour. Sellers love it because they can offer their wares to people around the world without expensive marketing campaigns.But successful internet marketing has become more and more challenging, especially for new businesses. With the proliferation of websites offering similar products, buyers have become overloaded with information. Typing one simple item in a search engine can return thousands of entries spanning multiple screens. A small entrepreneur can invest a huge amount of money to create a fantastic website, but the website won?t attract customers if it appears far down the list produced by a search engine. Competition has become fierce among vendors to ensure that their company is listed at the top of the list, on the first screen that the searcher sees.One way to accomplish this is with a Paid Listing. These are advertisements, similar to paid ads in a magazine or newspaper. Whenever a potential buyer searches on a particular word or phrase, these ads will usually appear on the right side or very top of the page under the ?sponsored links? heading. The other way to get your company listed near the top of the search list is to employ a Search Engine Optimization (SEO) specialist. Search Engine Optimization basically means getting qualified customers to visit your website by insuring that your website is ranked high on the list when a potential buyer searches on a particular word or phrase related to your product. A good SEO will also be able to easily tie their software to your existing software, including your financial packages and shopping cart software, in order to help you track sales and produce return sales.SEOs use a variety of techniques to get your business and to drive customers to your website. Unfortunately, they aren?t all ethical. Google and other search engines are able to spot unethical techniques, and will remove your website from their index if it employs such techniques. You can find advice on Google?s website for choosing a reputable SEO firm. Google?s first admonition is to be wary of SEO firms that send you emails out of the blue (spam) soliciting your business. Google also recommends that you have a contract in writing that includes pricing. The contract should also require the SEO to stay within the guidelines recommended by each search engine to include your site in its search results.Achieving a high search engine ranking has become so important in the world of E-Commerce that experts now recommend including search engine optimization techniques in the design of any new website. Independent Author in Thailand

Category : General ECommerce

City of Hope and The Bold and the Beautiful Present Celebrity Gala and Fashion Show April 2, 2005

2008-03-28T16:00:00.001-07:00

Author :

<a href="http://www.cityofhope.com" target="_blank" title="The Bold and the Beautiful">The Bold and the Beautiful</a> (B&B), an Emmy-award winning daytime drama on CBS, is joining forces with City of Hope, one of the nations top cancer hospitals and a pioneering biomedical research and treatment institute, to raise money and awareness of its efforts to <a href="http://www.cityofhope.com" target="_blank" title="defeat cancer">defeat cancer</a>, diabetes, HIV/AIDS and other life-threatening diseases in the 21st century.The Apparel Industries Group for City of Hope Annual Gala will be held on April 2, 2005 at the Beverly Hilton Hotel in Beverly Hills, California. The evenings highlight will be Lorenzo Lamas as the master of ceremonies presenting a <a href="http://www.cityofhope.com" target="_blank" title="celebrity fashion show">celebrity fashion show</a> featuring seventy original gowns created by B&Bs Emmy Award-winning costume designer, Birgit Muller. Thirty-five of the gowns will be auctioned on eBay, with all proceeds benefiting City of Hope. Bidding on the gowns will begin March 30th and last until the end of April 8th.About The Bold and the Beautiful (B&B)Seen in over 120 countries, the Emmy-award winning <a href="http://www.cityofhope.com" target="_blank" title="CBS daytime drama">CBS daytime drama</a> consistently achieves phenomenal ratings and demographics for its broadcasters. It was the first network daytime drama series to be simulcast in Spanish and English in the United States. An upcoming storyline on the series will feature the City of Hope.About City of HopeCity of Hope is one of the world's leading biomedical research and <a href="http://www.cityofhope.com" target="_blank" title="treatment centers">treatment centers</a> for cancer, diabetes, HIV/AIDS, and other life-threatening diseases. Named by U.S. News & World Report as one of America's best medical centers for cancer treatment, City of Hope is a pioneer in the fields of bone marrow transplantation and genetics. Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a Comprehensive Cancer Center, the highest designation bestowed by the National Cancer Institute, and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network. City of Hope's scientific knowledge is shared with medical centers locally and globally, helping patients battling life-threatening diseases around the corner and around the world.For more information, call 1-800-260-HOPE or visit the website at <a href="http://www.CityofHope.org" target="_blank">www.CityofHope.org</a><a href="http://www.xeal.com/" target="_blank" title="Press Release Marketing by Xeal Inc.">Press Release Marketing by Xeal Inc.</a>

Category : CGI

Internet Domain Registration - Establishing and Transferring Your Domain Name

2008-03-28T14:00:00.001-07:00

Author : John Michaels
If you're in business, one of the most important things to you may be your ability to establish an internet presence. Operating some type of functional web site for your business helps your customers find you, can present additional marketing opportunities through e-commerce, and offers advertising opportunities that you can not get elsewhere. Companies that do not have a web site lose business to companies that do all the time.Of course the real key to your web site is the internet domain registration. Everybody wants www.mybusiness.com – the problem is that domain names are unique and can be taken by anyone. If you don't register your desired domain name right away, someone else could take it. The fact is that internet domain registration can turn into a sneaky competitive game. In many cases business owners have gone to register a domain name and found that it had been registered years before they every started the company by some group that is in the business of registering domains and then turning around and selling them for exorbitant rates.A humorous story came from the 2005 municipal election in North Las Vegas, Nevada when one candidate realized that the incumbent mayor had not registered an internet domain name. The incumbent registered the mayor's name dot com and as many variants of it that he could come up with, literally stealing the Mayor's plans for a web site out from under him. The tactic didn't win him the election, but the candidate managed to annoy the mayor quite a bit and still owns the internet domain registration names to this day.The key to avoiding these sorts of problems lies in early registration of your desired domain name. If you find the one that you want (or a close variant of it), register it immediately. Even if you're not prepared to set up a web site yet or won't be for several years, register the domain right away anyway.Registering a domain name before being ready to set up its web site will require the domain name being transferred to the servers of your desired host when you are ready to establish the site. Transferring the domain name once you have selected a web host is a very simple process, but does require you to establish the change with both the registration company and the new host. The new host will provide you with the server information that you, in turn, will need to provide to the company with whom you originally registered the domain. There may be a short waiting period (typically 24 to 72 hours) while both servers get the information updated. Once that process is complete, you'll have your domain safely residing on your host's servers and your site (as long as it's been built) will be ready to go.The internet domain registration and transfer for your business web site is a simple process and can be completed through automated online systems in most cases. Clearly the most important part of this process is the registration of the domain name and this should always be done as soon as possible, even if it is going to be years before you're ready to get the actual web site up and running.John Michaels is a freelance author for WebHostPacks.com where he regularly publishes articles on how to find a cheap web host and reviews of low cost web hosting services.
Category : Business:Web-Hosting

The Do's and Don'ts of Launching a Small Business Website

2008-03-28T04:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Adil Wali
Launching a new small business website is often a long and painstaking process. And for most small businesses, the endeavor rarely ends in success. The terrain is mapped with freelancers, firms, and consultants that don't offer the same services and most certainly don't charge the same prices. Projects are often riddled with unclear expectations, missed deadlines, and ridiculous hourly rates. What's worse is that many developers have the audacity to ask for even more money halfway through the project. Even after all of the hard work is complete, most companies don't even see a return on investment.If you haven't been there, you probably know someone who has. IT outsourcing and procurement is often times so traumatizing that many of us vow never to deal with it again. But the whole process need not be so difficult and fruitless. The purpose of this article is to aid you in launching a successful website with minimal pain and effort. Who knows, if you play your cards right, it may even be within budget and on time!The Don'ts Don't spend too much on web hosting. If you are a small business that is just beginning to define your online presence, you don't need a whole lot! You most certainly don't need 10,000MB (10GB) of web space and 100,000MB (100GB) of bandwidth each month. So don't pay for it! You might be thinking, "Well, if it's relatively cheap and I may need it in the future, why don't I just spring for it now?" That kind of reasoning paves the road to overspending. Besides, web hosts making such offers are hoping that you won't really use the massive set of features. Expert web developers and power users will use that kind of space and bandwidth, however, and the end result is a bogged down and slow web host. Go with something economical and reliable; it's probably even faster.Don't mold your website to a pre-defined package. Although your local newspaper advertisement for development of a "5-page website with logo design for only $995" may be tempting, don't fall for it. Any company that sells you pre-set web site packages (or charges based on the number of pages) has the wrong idea. Web development should be a custom-fitting job. Your website is a business tool, and should be developed to exact specifications that enable it to complement the rest of your business. If you compromise your website's functionality, you compromise its ability to help you make money.Don't start the project until you are fully prepared. The easiest way to ruin a web development project is to get started before you are ready. Everything does not need to be in perfect order when you are shopping around for development; however, once you select a developer and begin work, being unprepared will only slow your project down greatly and drive up costs. Avoid this by purchasing your domain and web hosting, writing out all content, and deciding on the general layout you desire, all before the project begins.Don't compare apples to oranges. Not all web developers are created equal, so it is unfruitful and unwise to compare them on a single benchmark (such as price). While some "full-service" firms will create your website, upload it to your domain, and maintain the site to make sure it's up-to-date, others will simply e-mail you a folder full of files and expect you to know what to do from there. Similarly, some firms will revise the finished product over and over until you're satisfied while others believe you are paying them for one draft of work and no more. Be mindful of these differences and understand what is built into the different prices of each provider.Don't focus too much on eye-candy. Remember what your website is for. Unless you are the exception to the rule, the purpose of your site is either to a) give information about your product/service or company, b) allow users to buy directly from the site or c) both. In all cases, the site must be easy to understand, navigate, and operate. If your site is so new-age and graphic intensive that users have no idea how to get around it, or worse—it takes too long to load, you've defeated the purpose of its creation.The Do's Do have a marketing budget for your website. Launching a website without a marketing plan usually always results in a zero return-on-investment. Why? Because there are millions of sites on the internet, and if you don't market your site, no one will come. Unlike a typical brick-and-mortar establishment that benefits from exposure to passersby, your website will not be seen by anyone until you tell people that it exists. Take advantage of the fact that your website can reach more potential customers than a small storefront ever could. Set aside marketing funds at the onset of your project.Do prepare a timeline for the project. Many developers work virtually, that is, directly through the internet such that you may never meet them in person. This style of work is very different than the conventional, and the lack of face-to-face contact makes it easy for both parties to simply forget about the project as time goes on. Ensure that your project won't stagnate. Prepare a solid timeline with clear milestones, expectations, and deadlines so that it is easy for both you and the developer to stay on target.Do provide feedback in a timely and detailed manner. Although you are paying a design firm for its creativity, remember that ultimately what you say goes. You must be sensitive of the fact that development is a step-by-step, layer-by-layer process. If you don't respond with feedback immediately, developers will have already completed other layers of the site before your feedback reaches them. This means that they must not only re-work the layer in question, but also the following layers. Some developers have been "burned" so many times in this manner that they will wait patiently for your feedback before they go on to the next layer of work. This means that development comes to a screeching halt until they hear back from you. They may get so fed up that they take on another client while they wait, leaving you at 2nd priority.Do research developers before setting a budget. There are two reasons to do your homework before you decide on a budget. First, setting a budget without understanding a particular industry is simply nonsensical. You must know the price ranges of development and also what type of service to expect within each range. Second, a small business website, unlike a typical personal expense, is an investment. The goal of launching the site should be to aid the company in making more money. If the site won't make money, don't create it! If you limit your budget at $1000 without understanding the investment or industry, you may get an excellent site in that price range that makes no money. You would be better off if you do your homework, however, and find that spending more will likely yield a return. For example, you might spend $4000 on a site that actually makes you and additional $20,000 annually.Do plan to keep your site up-to-date. One of the biggest advantages to having a website is that you can quickly and easily update information. Nothing sends a more powerful message to a potential customer than a website that hasn't been updated for several months, or even years! You are telling people that the business is defunct or unpopular. Make it a point to update your site frequently, even if you don't have much to say. It will let your customers know that things are going well and that your company takes an active interest in keeping them informed.Although the above Dos and Don'ts are definitely not comprehensive, they are a good set of guiding principles for any individual or small business owner looking to create an online presence. No set of rules if foolproof, however, and there are always exceptions. My suggestion would be to always err on the side of caution. Many of the cliché statements we've all heard will come in handy: there is no such thing as a free lunch, and, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Finally, don't be afraid to ask questions to people who know more than you. In fact, feel free to contact me if you ever get into a jam: adil@steezo.com. Good luck!About the author: Adil Wali is Chief Operating Officer of SteeZo Media, a company founded in 1999 that focuses on consulting small and medium sized businesses in their efforts to create or revamp an on-line presence. Under Adil's leadership, the company shifted away from broad-based IT consulting to a more specific focus on matching clients with the most capable and cost effective developers. SteeZo Media also manages web development projects on behalf of clients.Company information: SteeZo Media, Inc. 1809 McAdam Rd. Darien, IL 60561. 1-888-8STEEZO. http://www.steezo.com
Category : Business:Web-Development

Subterranean: A Story About Working in Small Spaces With Poisonous Things & How to Deal With It

2008-03-28T00:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Thad Guy
Tim was a slender man. He was also a relaxed individual. Possibly because of this laid back style his keen intellect could catch people off guard. Sometimes people just assume that mellow people are also slow thinking. Tim was quite good at analyzing situations. However, when given the chance he was a proponent of making people do stupid things until they figured out what was happening. Wherever he went he was followed by an air of self-aware, and slightly shy, absurdity.Tim worked with me up on the ranch for a little while. One of our projects when on the ranch was building a house. The site of our proto-house was nestled in the mountains south of the main ranch house. The idea was that this small cabin, when completed, could house the main ranch hand as well as a guest or two when needed. I particularly liked this project because it allowed me to proudly (and unusually truthfully) declare one of those "life goal" things, that I had "built a house."One hot day Tim and I volunteered to put the insulation on the bottom of the house. This task involved crawling into the two foot high space under the house. Once under the house one would drag in a bunch of insulation and lie on one's back stapling it to the boards above.For the most part, the crawl-space under the house was sealed off from the outside by the external wall. This meant that getting under the house involved going down one particular big hole on the side of the house. This entrance shaft looked sort of like an over sized dry square well.Stepping down into that hole I remained blanketed in the New Mexican sun. However, while standing in that hole I was the only thing I could see that was well lit. The crunching and grinding of the gravel under my shoes, hands, and knees as I crawled under the house was surprisingly satisfying. The noise of my feet on the ground and the rough textures around me lent the experience a feeling of present reality.As Tim handed me the insulation to pull under the house behind me it was also nice to think about how for the next few hours, at least, I would get to work in a cool place rather than the hot sun directly above us.Once we were under the house I lay down on one side of a particular side of the building and Tim lay about an insulation lengths away from me. With the sudden twangy clicks of the staple gun I secured one end of the insulation to the boards above me and then passed the other end to Tim who then secured the other end.Though it was nice and cool under the house, deep and dank places are not without their own dangers. After working for a little while I came across a black widow. I was in an ideal position to identify a black widow's red hourglass on the abdomen of this particular arachnid because it was about five inches above my face. I stopped scooting toward the next section of floor-in-need-of-insulation. At first all I did was squirm a little while I looked up at the little spider dangling above me. After a moment or two I started yelling. During my yelling the spider started to lower itself towards my face. It was apparently unaware that I was so close to it. I figured it should have been scared of my relatively large teeth. In retrospect, this would have been the best time to "dodge" and get out of the way.The back widow has a very small amount of very potent neurotoxic venom. Because of the small volume of the venom, a bite from a black widow is rarely fatal. Before the days of antivenom 5% of reported bites resulted in fatality. Despite the rarity of death, a black widow bite can lead to "latrodectism". This can mean sever pain in muscle groups near the bite, muscle cramping, headaches, dizziness, tremors, joint pain, rapid heart beat, hyperventilation, and other less-that-fun experiences.Alerted by my yelling, Tim rolled onto his side to look at me. Then he slowly extended the hand with the staple gun in it. He clasped his wrist with his left hand to stabilize and support the gun hand. Tim carefully closed one eye. With a little chuckle he delicately aligned his one open eye with the top of the gun, and with the black widow.When the spider was about three inches directly above my upper lip Tim started firing. *Click. *Click. One staple after another arched by my face, none of them hitting the spider, one or two delicately bouncing off of the side of my face.*Click"Tim, what are you doing?""No worries, I'm going to kill it. Everything...is...O...K."*Click, *Click"I hate spiders. What if you hit the strand of web that it is hanging from?""Then I will be able to shoot it once it lands, or squish it"Tim continued to shoot the staple gun. *Click, *Click, *Click. Then with a slow and careful grasp...*Click. The staples sailed by the spider, and its web."Are you kidding me?"Thad Guy is a writer from northern New Mexico. Thad also publishes stories and pictures on his website, http://www.thadguy.com or http://thadguy.blogspot.com
Category : Arts-and-Entertainment:Humor

The Internet Gives Birth To A Monster Called Spyware

2008-03-27T20:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Julian Pereira

Internet users worldwide, may not realize that there is a
monster, known as spyware, that has taken up residence in their
computers. Infact, there could be several monsters, going by
various names, such as adware, trojans, malware etc. They could
be described as cookie monsters of the internet world.

How do these monsters thrive in a computer ? They feed off the
information they gather about people and often times they are
well fed. These creatures are not conducive to your wellbeing.
They infest and corrupt the workings of a computer and they
transmit personal information to their buddies at the other end
of the internet line. They have lots of such buddies that want
to get to know peoples surfing habits, their online purchases,
their interests, their chats, their credit worthiness, their
birth date and the list goes on and on.

Spyware and adware help the workings of promotional companies.
They can only be successful in their promotions, if they can
target people in an effective manner, by getting to know their
audience as best they can. It is only by understanding peoples
needs, likes and dislikes that they can send out promotional
material with the hope of generating sales. However, sales
materials may only be the tip of the iceberg, and while this may
be more of an annoyance, the infiltration by spyware can lead to
loss of privacy, loss of credit card details and lead to stolen
identity. When personal information is stolen there is no limit
to the extent of damage this can cause and the hardships it can
bring about to an individual or a family.

Spyware and adware have an easy entryway into computer systems.
They usually piggyback with other software downloads, including
shareware, freeware, p2p sharing of files, music downloads etc.
Once lodged into a computer they can reside indefinitely, till
detected and removed.

The solution is to have spyware detection and spyware removal
software.

The authors site can be viewed at http://www.DeleteSpyware.net

Category : Babies

All about lesbian dating, love, marriage and laws

2008-03-27T05:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Alina Farace

In lesbian terminology, love has the same meaning as it has for straights. Albeit lesbian love would be having a greater bent toward sex as it is a sexual orientation. The behavioral traits among lesbian woman in love are the same as among straights. Flirting: Lesbian flirt as we do. They look in the eyes, budge closer with thighs touching, and throw a compliment or a mildly funny or even hilarious remark to impress another sexy female. The experience is heightened when the other female is experiencing her first. A female not bent towards homosexuality would find a women flirting with her as outrageous. Nevertheless, this is the method that mature lesbians use to seek newbie lesbian about to seek her first lesbian sex. When somebody flirts at us, our ego is boosted so is the case with dykes. Lesbian dating: Again, this is a relationship building process among homosexual females. Online dating site is very popular as is evident from the lesbian free local personals ads and free classifieds of lesbians that are encountered in lesbian dating sites. There are vacation hot spots that are friendly places for lesbian or bisexual women to interact freely. Like gays there bars and clubs that are lesbian oriented and favorable for hot lesbian sex activity. These places are highly comforting to closeted lesbian and an amateur lesbian experiencing lesbian sex for the first time. Lesbian marriage: Lesbian are as possessive over their love partner as straights are and many decide to tie the relationship in marriage. Lesbian marriage or same sex marriage is permissible in very few countries. Nevertheless, lesbian lovers or couples stay committed for life and live together as such. Gold star lesbian: Some women are committed in their love for women. Such women known as gold star lesbian do not and have never engage in sex with a man. They are staunch supporter of this homosexual practice, live, and die as dykes forever. Lesbian Laws: Substantial law reform is required for homosexual dating in to change things for lesbians and gays. The Gay and Lesbian Rights Lobby (GLRL) have been campaigning for equality in the work place. Recently a report was published which claimed that a fairly large number of dykes faced some form of ridicule or unfair treatment in the workplace. Although many nations are opening up to gay and lesbian lifestyle but a significant amount of legislative change and a perspective devoid of bias is required to deliver equality to homosexuals. Hello, I am Alina Farace. I am freelance writer. I have published many articles ezines,article sites. i have writes on relationships, dating, human sexuality and many more

Category : General Society: Gay / Lesbian

Are We Spoiling Our Kids?

2008-03-26T22:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Louise Geaney

ARE the children in your life running your life? Are work commitments outside the home making you feel guilty that you leave your offspring with others to be reared, resulting in you indulging them a little too much when you are re-united? If so, you?re not alone, according to the experts, who say many new age parents are failing to assume the role of the adult in the relationship with their children, who are consequently running the family show. Guilt is the Number One factor to blame for this situation says American clinical psychologist Diane Ehrensaft. The author of the book Spoiling Childhood: How Well-Meaning Parents Are Giving Children Too Much-But Not What They Need says parents today are often caught up in a guilt-driven pendulum, swinging between parenting too little and parenting too much. According to Ehrensaft we are giving too much freedom, material goods, and empty praise to our children in place of setting limits and giving guidance, time and love.?We parent like Tarzan on a rope, wildly swinging from never being there enough to being there far too much,? Ehrensaft says, of modern parents who are caught in the juggling act of trying to have ?it all?. Today?s parents are, she says, caught in the predicament of wanting to pursue their own needs/ambitions while at the same time wanting to give their children more opportunities and materialistic items than they themselves had. ?It is a predicament for these professional, middle-class parents who have gone after what they have wanted - career, money, happiness - sometimes at the expense of their children's well being, and yet who also act as if the sky is the limit for their children,? she says The families that frequent the psychologist?s practice sound familiar. Parents that work hard, yet help out with homework and organise after school activities for their kids? five days a week. In these families children rarely help around the house and their demands are met with the least amount of resistance. Sounds like a scene from many Irish homes- but where does the boundary between wanting to encourage our children?s growth and rearing potentially unsociable bullies begin to blur?The word discipline may cause some parents to break out in a rash, but according to psychologists it?s a necessary part of the parenting process. Parents in 2005 may want their children to be free spirited and more spontaneous than previous generations, but this doesn?t mean they don?t need their parents to act like, well, parents. Without firm parameters, authorities say children are forced to scream and whine, desperately looking for the reference point from which to grow and develop. ?Worrying about our children not liking us if we discipline them can prevent some parents from establishing firm structures for behaviour that our children need. We must stop abdicating the throne and accept our position as an adult," Ehrensaft says. "Children do not do well with deposed kings and queens for parents. To be good parents, we definitely must give generously of ourselves, but never give ourselves over to our children," she states.ends About The AuthorLouise Geaney is a freelance journalist based in Ireland and founder of the parenting website and podcast show www.go-mums.com.

Category : Parenting

Celebrities and Their Diamond Engagement Rings

2008-03-26T16:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Tim Richardson
What better way to show the world that you are in love than by the act of giving and receiving a diamond engagement ring? With many actresses and other famous women sporting bigger and sparklier diamond rings, celebrity engagements have become a delight for the jewelry lover. The size of the diamond is not necessarily the key as to what makes some of these rings so famous and recognizable, rather it seems to be a combination of the engagement ring itself and the famous lady it is associated with.The history of diamond engagement ringsMaximillan I of Austria gave the first diamond engagement ring on record to Mary of Burgundy in 1477. He had the ring commissioned to unite their two houses and make their marriage a unifying symbol to the country.The smallest diamond engagement ring ever made was given to Princess Mary who was married by proxy to the Dauphin of France in the year 1518. Princess Mary was two years old at the time.Throughout history diamond engagement rings have become larger, more elaborate, and have included a wide variety of other jewels and metals. Diamond engagement rings settings can be made of silver, platinum, white or yellow gold or a mixture of these elements.Famous ladies and their engagement ringsCelebrities and other famous people influence the look and style of many aspects in fashion and also set trends. Diamond engagement rings are no exception to this rule. The following is a partial list of the famous ladies and their equally famous engagement rings:Royalty:Queen Elizabeth II received an engagement ring from Prince Phillip that was made from diamonds from his mother's tiara.Grace Kelly was given a 12 carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring from Prince Rainier.Lady Diana was engaged with a ring made of an 18 carat blue oval sapphire that was circled by fourteen diamonds.Actresses:Elizabeth Taylor was engaged to her third husband, Michael Todd, with an emerald cut diamond that weighed almost 30 carats. However, she is more known for her other pieces of jewelry, one more striking than the other: the 39 carat Krupp diamond, the 69.42 carat pear-shaped Taylor-Burton diamond and the 17th century heart-shaped Taj Mahal diamond.Priscilla was engaged to Elvis with a 3.5 carat diamond engagement ring that was circled by another 21 smaller diamonds and diamond chips.Sharon Stone was given a three diamond, 3 1/2 carat emerald-cut diamond engagement ring by Phil Bronstien.Catherine Zeta-Jones' promise to Michael Douglas was finalized with a 10 carat antique marquise diamond estimated at amost $2 million.Joan Collins got a heart-shaped diamond ring in a nineteenth-century setting from husband Percy Gibson.Pop stars:Madonna received from Guy Ritchie an antique Edwardian three-stone diamond ring with a decorative platinum band. The Neil Lane ring was supposed to represent their family: mother, father and son Rocco.In the case of Toni Braxton, drummer Keri Lewis designed a stunning 4.5 three-stone diamond ring with an oval-shaped center stone and 2 heart-shaped diamonds on the sides.Paris Hilton, even though not a pop star but a diva anyway, received 2 diamond engagement rings from billionaire Paris Latsis, a $5 million 24 carat canary diamond ring and a $2.1 million 15 carat white diamond ring.Britney Spears has two engagement rings also: one that she bought for herself before the wedding, a $40,000 4 carat cushion-cut diamond ring with a platinum pave setting, and one that she received 9 month after the marriage from husband Kevin Federline.Christina Aguilera became engaged to Jordan Bratman after he presented a $54,000 20-carat diamond engagement ring designed by jeweler Stephen Webster.Whitney Houston sports a stunning 4 carat oval-shaped center stone with trillions on the sides which she received from Bobby Brown.Replica diamond engagement ringsOf course there is the very famous pink diamond ring that Ben Affleck gave to Jennifer Lopez. This 6 carat radiant shaped pink diamond quickly caught the attention of the public and has become a highly sought after replica. It is completed with a platinum band as well as three baguette white diamonds on each side. The pink diamond engagement ring is reported to have been purchased for $1.2 million in 2002. The ring, while easily identified is also very feminine and modern looking.Replicas of the famous pink diamond ring are now available for a moderate price. The cost of the replicas depends on the quality of the stones and the materials used in reproducing the pink diamond engagement ring.Some replicas are styled as more antique diamond engagement rings. These rings have an everlasting quality and symbolize tradition and heritage. The recent engagement of Camilla Parker Bowles in February of 2005 featured such an antique engagement ring. The platinum ring has an emerald-cut center diamond with three diamond baguettes on each side. This ring originally belonged to the Queen Mother and is believed to be valued at over $1 million.Since few people can afford the original item, there will always be a market for replicas of these one of a kind diamond engagement rings. The quality of the replicas varies, as does the price. It is important to note that the styles of diamond engagement rings that are popular with celebrities will soon become the styles that are sought after by the not quite so rich and famous.Tim Richardson is your guide in the world of diamond engagement rings at http://www.loveanddiamonds.com where you can find tips on choosing the diamond and the setting for the perfect ring. You'll learn about diamond shape, cut, clarity, weight, color, how to read a diamond certificate and how to avoid scams.
Category : Shopping:Jewelry-Diamonds

Car Alarm System - Basic Alarms to SMS Remote Controlled Tracker for the UK

2008-03-26T11:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Andrew Jocelyn
Aftermarket alarm systems starts with a basic intruder detection and siren alarm to one which can send you a text message if your vehicle is stolen and allows you to track the exact location using GPS as well as an option to send commands via mobile phone to immobilise the vehicle, lock doors smoke screens or any other programmable actions.A good quality basic car alarm system should include an immobiliser if you do not have one already fitted and an output to the central locking system so when you arm the alarm from the alarm remote all the doors will lock. Some car alarm systems can make use of you existing central locking remote control so that when you use your exiting remote to lock up a signal is sent to the alarm to arm it and disarm when the doors are unlocked.Moving up from a basic security system a Thatcham car alarm system is approved by the UK motor insurance industry so fitting one could pay for itself if you consider the saving made on your car insurance. All Thatcham car alarm systems should be fitted by a qualified installer who will issue a Thatcham certificate on completion which should be presented to the motor insurer.Probably on of the best car alarm system on the market at the moment makes use of a mobile phone to both warn the owner of theft and give location details as well as an ability to control the vehicles security features by remote control from the mobile phone itself. These car alarm systems can allow the owner to immobilise the vehicle but for safely reasons the engine will only cut out when the vehicle is stationary at some point on its journey, other remote control features include; locking doors, siren and hazards on, smoke screen, recorded message and more.You can add a radio control or text message pager to an existing car alarm system which lets you know if the vehicle has been broken into or driven off, a radio pager usually has a guarantee range of at least one mile but could work further out but a mobile phone will let you know about your vehicle anywhere. Other accessories that can be added to car alarm systems include; tilt and motion sensor, glass break detector, dual zone pre warning bleep, automatic window closure and more.Andrew Jocelyn from the UK has been involved in car
alarm installation since 1998 dealing with many types of car
alarm system from a simple alarm to an insurance approved Thatcham
car alarm with GPS tracking system allowing full control of your vehicle via
a mobile phone.
Category : Automotive

3 Situations Where You Shouldn't Join The Latest Private Label Rights Site

2008-03-26T08:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Andrew Peacock

There is a boom in sites which provide private label content
recently - this content which you can use in any way you like.
They sound like a great investment and a way to make money
online, but there are three situations where you should think
carefully about joining one of these sites.

1. If you're not earning good income from the other content
sites you've joined

Have you joined more than one of Nicheology, NichePD, Push
Button Health, The Lost Files, or any of the other public-domain
/ private label sites that have appeared recently?

Are you paying the $24.95 a month for InfoGoRound instead of
submitting one additional article a month to get a refund on
that payment?

Are your memberships costing you more than you're making each
month?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, then DON'T join
the latest site. Or join, but cancel enough of the others that
you end up spending less money each month. If you remain a
member of all those sites and then add one more, you'll just end
up spending more money in the HOPE of making more. But if you
can't generate income from the money you're spending now, how is
throwing more money at it going to help????

2. If you've not fully-utilised the other sites that you've
joined

OK, maybe you're making some money by using the content from one
of the other public-domain / private label sites. But are you
using all the content that you can? If not, go back and use the
unused content, rather than getting even more content which you
won't use.

You might sell the reports via pay-per-click ads, or split them
into articles which you post to a blog, or add your own content
to sell them to multiple niches. Whatever. Just make sure that
you get every penny you can out of one site each month before
you join any more.

3. If you believe the hype

If you've fallen for a good sales page, don't join. Not unless
you can back it up with a good business plan. And, before you
ask, NO: "Split the report into multiple pages, add Adsense, and
hope for the best" is NOT a business plan.

Answer questions like the following:

* Where's your back-end income coming from?

* Can you write, find, or buy enough new original content to
keep on providing quality information to your subscribers
inbetween the hundreds of ads you intend to send them?

* How can you use the products to create or enhance a community
of people to help maintain long-term traffic to your site(s) -
even after the search engines have dropped you like a ton of
bricks for using too much duplicate content?

* What daily steps will you be taking, in accordance with your
*long-term* strategy, to USE this content and generate
subscribers and income?

If you fall into any of these groups, then you're wasting
valuable money and even more valuable time. Decide what you
want, decide how you're going to do it, and TAKE ACTION. FOCUS!

Find something that you can do with one private label site, work
it till you are generating income to pay for your expenses and
some extra profit, and repeat it. If you can't repeat it, then
make sure it's self-sustaining and THEN move onto something else.

Stop joining every trend that comes your way.

Category : Home & Family

E-Lottery program with infinite commission structure

2008-03-26T06:00:00.001-07:00

Author : D. Worrall

E-Lottery
Syndicate

OK firstly let me give you a background of the company, they
(Tom Brodie and Len Fitzgerald) started in 2002, they operate a
unique lottery syndicate plan where matching just 1 number can
win you money and they are full members of the lottery council
of the UK (www.lotteriescouncil.org.uk). Let me begin by
describing the product they are selling before I move onto the
affiliation part. You can play from anywhere in the world. You
pay Â£5 for lottery tickets from them, you are given 5 numbers
and every ball as your other number, for instance you could get
1,2,3,4,5. they would buy 1,2,3,4,5,6 upto 1,2,3,4,5,49 for you
and they are your syndicate numbers. If it wins you win and the
money is transferred into your account. Now for the affiliate
part, for every affiliate you bring into the plan you get 20% of
their payment weekly, so get 5 affiliates and you get your Â£5
back. They would be level 1 sub-affiliates. For every one of
their affiliates you get 5% down 7 levels. There is also a
challenge (and it is a challenge) whereby you can earn 2% from
everyone below level 7 as an infinity payment. My last payment
came in the form of a Â£43 cheque and its growing at roughly 14%
per week. They also hold regular conventions. I went to their
last one and it was amazing. I MUST go to the next one, its in
Las Vegas and if you are good enough at bringing in the
affiliates then you can go for free and have a great hotel room
too. Of course we mustn't forget why people play the lottery,
its to win the jackpot. Do you know that the jackpot for
tomorrows Euro-Millions draw is over Â£100,000,000.00? I have my
tickets........have you?

E-Lottery
Syndicate

Category : Food & Beverage

Automate Your Internet Business with Autoresponders

2008-03-26T03:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Terri Seymour

Autoresponders are a handy tool for your online internet business. An autoresponder is a program that automatically sends out pre-written messages at the pre-selected times. These messages are sent out to anyone who requests information from a certain email address, fills out a form on your website, etc. They can be used for ecourses, tutorials, articles, (with follow-ups) newsletters, mailing lists, free reports, general information or questions, and more. Autoresponders can help automate your online business so you have more time to spend helping customers, etc. One word of caution - do not lose the personal touch. Autoresponders are very helpful, but do not rely on them to run your whole business. You need to maintain personal contact with your customers. If you have an email address on your site where people can email for more info or a free report; try spicing it up with an autoresponder. The autoresponder will send out the information/report immediately. You can then add several follow-ups to the existing info and they will all be delivered automatically! This frees up your time and also gives the customer the requested info instantly. NOTE: Be sure and give the customer the option to opt out or refuse the follow-ups if they so choose. You do not want to be reported for spam. This can also be set up with the autoresponder. You might want to set it up something like this:A person responds to an email on your site for more information on a particular service or product. Your first autoresponder message goes out immediately thanking them for their inter rest and giving them all the basic info as requested. Maybe add some testimonials. Personalize the message with their name, if possible. A couple of days later message #2 goes out telling about your experience, credentials and more testimonials. Then message #3 a few days later could be a free report with information pertaining to your products. If you sell home decor items, offer some decorating tips with your products being the subject.After that come s message #4 with any specials or sales you may have coming up. Message #5 could be a final grab for the sale and you could also let them know about your ezine, if you have one or other free resources/services you provide. I have also used autoresponders for my articles and ecourses. I put each article on an autoresponder with a couple follow-ups and then I also have a master list of all my articles. I promote the address of the master list from which people can automatically receive the individual articles and follow-ups. An autorepsonder also works very well for ecourses and tutorials. Put each lesson separately and have them sent out a couple days apart to keep you in the customers mind.Don't wait too long in between or people will forget about you and the tutorial. At the end of the ecourse, you can add a couple of follow-ups or maybe a survey on how they like the ecourse with a free report or ebook as a thank you. Use your imagination and marketing talents. The possibilities are endless with autoresponders.Simply do a search for autoresponders and you will have plenty to choose from. I have always used GetResponse. There are free ones as well, but the features will be limited. But depending on what you are using them for, free might work for you. Once you set up your autoresponders, they can be marketing your products/services for you 24/7, which could increase your sales and income substantially! ************Terri Seymour has several years online experience and has helped many people start their own business. Visit her site at http://www.seymourproducts.com for help, resources, & more. Seymour Products also offers resell ebooks for just $1 each, low-cost wholesale home business, free affiliate programs and a free ezine. mailto:subscribe@seymourproducts.com*************

Category : General Online Marketing

Common Mistakes: Home Page Design

2008-03-26T01:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Nicolas Burki
Issue
What pitfalls should companies avoid on their Web, Intranet or portal home pages?Response
The home page of a Web site, Intranet or portal is the most important page. It should tell site visitors, what they can do precisely deeper in the site or at least inform them, what they may be able to expect. However, in most cases, the home page is just a compromise to satisfy internal politics and neglecting site visitors' needs. To set up an effective home page that matches corporate objectives and user's expectations the following pitfalls should be avoided:1) Too much information instead of links: Many home pages provide detailed information such as complete news, company description, etc. or are overloaded with images. Site visitors do not want to read information on the home page nor guessing what might be hidden behind an image. They want to find a link to start navigating to the information, which they came for. Providing detailed information on the home page limits the space available for valuable links. Further, it increases the risk that site visitors do not even start navigating the site, as they do not find their specific entry point to start their specific action or scenario. There are two types of pages, which apply to any Web applications such as Web sites, Intranets and portals. Those are navigation pages and destination pages. Navigation pages allow site visitors discovering the options to navigate. Destination pages provide the information, which site visitors are looking for. The home page is the ultimate navigation page. It needs to provide as much as possible links to the various Web sections. The Web strategy determines the links from the home page to the site sections. There are two major linking approaches:- Individual link, which relates to one link for a complete Web section.
- Category links, which is one link to a complete Web section, followed by links to further detail this section (sub-category links).
Provide category links for strategic Web sections that you want your target audience to browse and navigate to (for example for IT companies provide category and sub-category links to product and service overviews, customer engagements, download section). Use individual links for Web sections that target secondary audiences (for example company profile or recruitment).2) Animations / animated links: Even though that usability research clearly shows that animations such as rotating banners, animated text, etc. distracts site visitors, it is still used on many business sites. In most cases, marketing managers request Web designer to implement animations although designers know that animations are more destructive than increasing site effectiveness. Web designers need to clearly explain the differences between offline and online media. In offline marketing, publicity needs to attract the attention of prospects. For example, if you are walking on a street, advertising such as ad posters must attract your attention, as you are not walking down a street to discover ads. In online media, site visitors already decided to go to a Web site with a specific goal in mind (e.g. finding contact, product or support information, etc.). Hence, the Web site does not need to attract the visitor's attention. There are successful concepts to replace animations such as the so-called hooks. Hooks are static images or graphics with a minimum of text to tell site visitors what they can expect by clicking on them. Hooks are not limited to the home page but can be used on all navigation pages. Effective hooks target the page audience (best practice sites: www.cisco.com, www.ups.com/content/gb/en/index.jsx ). Place hooks on the home page that target the prime Web audience, on subsequent navigation pages, refine hooks accordingly to the page audience.3) Not telling what site users can do on the site: Site visitors do not go unintentionally to a Web site. They have a specific action in mind such as finding pricing information, applying for a job, downloading the annual report, etc. Using action verbs such as download, apply, compare, discover, etc. facilitates site visitors to find immediately the link to start their scenario. Action verbs define further links (for example a link named "product" can be misleading as it does not tell what kind of "actions" will be available such as downloading, comparing, ordering, test driving, etc.). Complementing links with action verbs helps to reduce site visitor frustration and to increase site effectiveness.4) Missing the home page basics: There are a few usability practices, which Web designer should implement on the home page such as:- Home page length less than two screens at a resolution of 800x600, best would be to fit within one screen. Place strategic links on the first screen (upper half of the home page, if the home page exceeds one screen), as site visitors generally do not scroll on navigation pages and hence would miss the important links.
- Links to site support tools such as site map or site search. About 30 percent of site visitors prefer finding their information using site search. Therefore it is crucial that Web sites provide search functionality (e.g. the search box) directly from the home page.
- Link to privacy policy from the text navigation at the bottom and link to the company profile (navigation bar and text navigation bar).
- Company logo available in the upper left corner. However, it should not provide an active link on the home page but from any other pages within the site.
- Navigation consistency with the rest of the site. Ensure that the navigation on the home page is consistent with the rest of the site to avoid user confusion.Nicolas Bürki is the founder of

http://www.effinfo.com, a Web research portal providing pragmatic articles to make your Web sites, Intranet and portals more effective. Join our free Webinar on effective Home Page DesignLeading organizations worldwide use effinfo's research and opinions to make Web-related decisions; our documents are regularly among the top 10 most read research documents on ITForbes.com and PcPro.co.uk . We are also consistently quoted on a wide range of IT portals.Nicolas Bürki is an active jury member of ICT awards to determine the most effective eBusiness projects from a business efficiency perspective.Before, Nicolas was a senior advisor at Giga (now Forrester). Nicolas helped global companies to increase the effectiveness of their Web sites, Intranets and enterprise portals.Prior Giga, Nicolas was the technical director of a French consultancy focusing on Internet technology solutions and a consultant at Accenture's Cent
Category : Business:Web-Design

How to Get Started Online and Get Past Information Overload

2008-03-25T14:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Sean Mize
It is so easy to get caught up in the massive amount of knowledge that is floating around. If you are like me, you get many emails everyday touting the latest newest best program for getting ric.h online. If you want to learn about getting started online and you go surfing, you can spend hours, download thousands of pages of information, read it all, and not be any further along than you were when you started looking for information. You literally get lost in the avalanche of information.I advocate the KISS principle---keep it simple, stupid.I believe there are two legitimate ways to make mo.ney online---Create your own product and sell it, or find someone else's product and sell it. Either way you have to sell. Period. No way around it.You might ask about all the multi-level and pyramid and 'just invest 10 dollars and you will get millions in two weeks' programs. Do you read scam? Move on. Do not pass go. Spend your money on a dinner out.To make real money online you must sell. Sell what you create or sell what someone else creates. But you must sell. I really believe that anyone that tells you differently is just downright not honest.If you are just getting started, sell someone else's product.Your game plan will look like this:Start with just a squeeze page (web page with just a headline, 3 bullet points and an opt in box to collect names and emails)Build a list.Develop a relationship with your list. Teach them what you know, however little it may be.Recommend products to your list that you have used.Once you have been building a list for awhile, and are comfortable with it, and are regularly corresponding with it, begin to develop your own product.Once you have your own product, simply begin to promote it to your list.You may have noticed that I recommend starting with a list, rather than a sales page. Remember, if you are selling something for someone else, you do not need a sales page.By the way, never send traffic directly to an affiliate site. Always send the traffic to your squeeze page first. That way they can opt in to your list and you can send that same traffic to the site multiple times. If you send them directly to a web site, and they do not buy, you have lost whatever you spent on traffic.By the way--a note on traffic. There is fre.e traffic. But it takes time, effort, and energy. If you have the money, buy traffic and write articles. That's it. If you can't spend money, write articles - lot's of them. When you start making money, invest it in traffic, not a new program.This has been an excerpt from my newsletter, answering a question posed by a reader. To join my list and ask questions, click here: Internet Marketing Success

Are you interested in learning how to build a responsive mailing list? Click here: List Building

Sean Mize is an online author and internet marketer, and produces internet marketing training materials.
Category : Internet-and-Businesses-Online

What Is The Zone Diet?

2008-03-25T12:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Kirsten Hawkins
The Zone Diet is one of the five most discussed diets currently being endorsed. Developed by Barry Sears, a former researcher at MIT, it is based on maintaining insulin levels by striking a balance between carbohydrates and proteins at each meal.
Sears suggests that the major cause of obesity is an imbalance of insulin in the body. He maintains that the diet currently recommended by most medical institutions is high in carbohydrates and low in fats - a combination which he contends contributes to the production of too much insulin, and results in obesity.
The Zone Diet is based on the concept of achieving a physiological state in which insulin and eicosanoids, two hormones, are maintained in zones that are carefully balanced. By controlling the balance of insulin and eicosanoids, you increase the loss of fat, and decrease the likelihood of heart disease and diabetes, decrease inflammation and increase blood flow, and increase your physical and mental stamina.
The Zone Diet
The diet program of The Zone is designed to balance your intake of protein and carbohydrate at 1 part protein to 4 parts carbohydrate. It advises a moderate intake of carbohydrates, proteins and fat in order to control insulin. It prescribes a maximum amount of low-fat protein at one meal at 3-4 ounces, which is nearly exactly the recommendation of the USDA and the FDA. The majority of carbohydrates on the Zone diet come from vegetables and fruits, with limited amounts of bread, rice, potatoes and grains. Most fat intake should be from monounsaturated fats like olive oil, safflower oil and other 'heart healthy' oils.
While this sounds a good deal like the Atkins diet (restricting carbohydrates), the differences are very clear. Atkins recommends a diet high in protein without regard to fat, with the intent of provoking ketosis, a potentially unhealthy condition. High carbohydrate diets recommend increasing carbohydrate levels and inducing the production of insulin which, maintains Sears, increases weight gain. Instead, the Zone Diet recommends achieving an optimal balance of nutrients with moderate amounts of proteins, carbohydrates and fat all playing a part.
The other component of the Zone diet worthy of note is the supplementation of diet with fish oil. Fish oil, particularly pharmaceutical grade fish oil, provides omega 3 fatty acids which are an important component in healthy cells. Study after study in the past five years has confirmed the importance of fish and omega 3 fatty acids in the diet.
A sample meal on The Zone's eating plan might include:

1 3 oz portion of broiled salmon
Spinach salad with apples and walnuts dressed with walnut oil and lemon juice
1/2 cup of brown rice
1 glass fruit or vegetable juice
The eating plan recommended by The Zone diet combines small portions of low fat proteins, fats and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits. It also suggests eating some protein with each meal or snack, and at least 3 meals and 2 snacks daily.
Who should use the Zone Diet?

As always, if you're under the care of a physician for any chronic medical condition, you should consult them before embarking on any diet plan that substantially changes your eating habits. There are significant differences between the Zone Diet and that recommended for diabetics and heart patients, for instance. Overall, the recommended portions of foods and the balance between them is consistent with a healthy diet, and is maintainable for a lifetime.

Get Out of Debt - How to Qualify for Debt Consolidation Services

2008-03-25T09:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Carrie Reeder
Eliminating excessive debt can remove a huge weight off your shoulders.
Individuals living with too much debt suffer from high stress levels,
insomnia, and headaches. There are many solutions to reducing and
eliminating debt. You can choose to get a higher paying job with allows you
to put more money toward principals, or consider bankruptcy to
completely erase your debts.Fortunately, there is a better way to get out of debt. Debt
consolidation services have helped millions of people gain control of their
finances. Because of high finance fees, paying the minimal monthly payment on
credit cards will not reduce your debt. Even if you do not use your
credit cards, your balances may increase each month.Reduce Debt with a Debt Management CompanyChoosing to work with a debt management company is one of the best
credit decisions you will ever make. Within a few years, you will become
debt free. Once your debt is eliminated, you will have more options. You
can purchase a new vehicle or your dream home.While debt management companies are eager to help consumers become debt
free, you have to qualify for these services. There are various
reputable debt management companies. Thus, there is a company for each
individual need. Program qualifications vary. Before applying for debt help,
you must contact several debt solution agencies and inquire of their
requirements.Debt Consolidation RequirementsFor the most part, debt management services require applicants to have
at least $2000 in unsecured debts. These may include credit cards,
consumer loans, repossession, etc. On the other hand, some debt management
companies set the minimum debt requirement at $4000. Those who have
acquired excessive consumer debt may choose a company with a debt minimum
of $10,000. Unfortunately, debt management companies will not accept
secured debt such as vehicle loans and mortgages.Debt management companies do not perform credit checks. Nonetheless, to
qualify for a program, you must have steady employment. Steady
employment consists of being with the same employer for at least 90 days.
Moreover, some debt management agencies only help persons who are behind on
their payments to creditors. The simplest way to consolidate your debt
is online. After requesting a free quote, a representative will contact
you within 24 hours to discuss a debt elimination strategy.Here are our recommended
Debt Consolidation companies online.
Carrie Reeder is the owner of ABC Loan
Guide, an informational website about various types of loans.
Category : Broadband Internet

Anti-Spammers Need To Develop Better Manners

2008-03-25T06:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Stephen Pope
I sent my e-zine out last week and I received a copy of it back. It had been forwarded to me by a subscriber. In the subject line was a two word sentence; since most publications and websites frown upon vulgarity, obscenity, and profanity, I have spared you the exact wording. Be assured, however, that Miss Manners would definitely not approve.

It is understandable the frustration that people feel when they are inundated with unsolicited commercial e-mail. I myself get more than my fair share.

Despite my Internet Service Provider (ISP) enabling a spam filter and in spite of configuring my own e-mail program filters, I still get spam.

However, the situation with my subscriber is different. He opted in and confirmed his subscription. I use an outside service to handle my mailing lists, in part, to protect myself from false spam complaints.

There are a number of possibilities here. Perhaps my dear subscriber forgot that he subscribed and honestly believed that he received spam.

Another possibility is that he didn't enjoy the content. The correct response when someone offers you something you don't want is "No, thank you" not "Expletive deleted".

If you are offered dessert after dinner by your host and you don't want any, simply say "No, thanks." If you accept one piece of pie and then you're offered another, you may either accept or decline.

My subscriber could simply have unsubscribed. Instead, he retaliated (either because he believes I'm spamming him or he doesn't like the newsletter).

He said "yes" when he subscribed; he can always say "no" by unsubscribing. Again, "No, thank you" not "Expletive deleted".

Related to this rudeness is the ignorance some America Online, Inc. (AOL) subscribers show. By ignorance, I mean that they may not even realize they are doing anything wrong when they report e-mail they don't like as spam.

AOL makes it very easy for their subscribers to report spam. I would say they make it too easy.

Just click the button "Report Spam". Unfortunately, there is no notation near that button that says "If you subscribed, just unsubscribe." No, simply "Report Spam."

And they do. Rather than unsubscribe, some AOL subscribers will report your e-zine as spam. They opted in and subscribed. They confirmed their subscription by e-mail. Their name, e-mail address, IP address, and date and time of subscribing have all been recorded. But, they are reporting you as a spammer.

This, to me, goes beyond rude, as it could affect the reputation and livelihood of the one being reported.

I wish I could say that receiving obscenities or threats by e-mail is rare. Sadly, this is not the first time for me.

Among the many messages I receive are some that say that the e-mail I tried to send (from some strange or nonsensical name at my domain) was undeliverable or blocked and is being returned to me. Of course, I never sent that e-mail in the first place.

Occasionally, I receive rude (sometimes threatening) e-mails from people who thought I sent them some of these spoofed e-mails. This is the equivalent of swearing at and threatening someone who you believe allowed his dog to defecate on your lawn. The only problem is that the man doesn't have a dog.

Again, I sympathize with those who are irritated by spam. I just wish they would direct their indignation at the spammers instead of me. In fact, Miss Manners would have reminded us all that there is never any excuse for rudeness.

The Peruvian Paso

2008-03-25T05:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Angela Thompson

Murphys Law

2008-03-25T02:00:00.001-07:00

Author : Dr. Randy Wysong

Murphys Law is: If anything can go wrong, it will. Then there is Otooles Commentary on Murphys Law: Murphy was an optimist. A related law is the Law of Selective Gravity: An object will fall so as to do the most damage. Corollaries to these laws are: The chance of the bread falling with the jammed side down is directly proportional to the cost of the carpet. If there are only two programs worth watching, they will both be on at the same time. If you dont need it and dont want it, you can have tons of it. A monetary windfall is always accompanied by a new expense of the same amount. If its good, they discontinue it. If everything is coming your way, youre in the wrong lane. When the plane you are on is late, the one you are connecting to is always on time. No matter which side of the fire you move to, the smoke will come your way. There is no limit to how bad things can get.Yes, life does throw us many glitches and disappointments. We are in constant search for happiness but Murphys Law just keeps getting in the way. Occasional bliss and tranquility is always interrupted by difficulties, crises and tragedies. Just when you think you have grasped happiness, peace, security and a winning formula, one of lifes spoilers comes along.Thats life. It is a roller coaster. By definition it does not course in a straight line and even if it did it would intersect physical and ethical laws and other peoples lines that are not accommodating or conveniently avoiding yours. Such collisions often cause setbacks because our agenda is never perfectly in accord with others. If you drive to work and ignore all other traffic, signals and signs, disaster strikes because other cars have a different agenda. Only when you take into consideration all the traffic laws, stay alert and are considerate of others, can there be hope for smooth sailing.Life intelligently lived should be seen as a continuing educational process meant to refine us. Without things going wrong we do not learn. All sun makes a desert. Adversity and setbacks teach us humility, that we are not invincible, that it is not all about us, we are not perfect, above the law or superior to others. If at first we dont succeed, there is no reason to throw away all the evidence.Also, rarely does a bad circumstance befall us for which we are not in some way responsible. So difficulties should create the opportunity for reflection and introspection. An honest self-evaluation should cause adjustment that could save us from an even bigger catastrophe later. So dont let lifes problems get you down or put you in a helpless mode as if you are being singled out or are a victim without control. No one, no matter how seemingly perfect their life, does not have ups and downs. See the valleys in life for what they are, a better vantage point from which to plan your scaling of the mountain. For further reading, or for more information about, Dr Wysong and the Wysong Corporation please visit www.wysong.net or write to wysong@wysong.net. For resources on healthier foods for people including snacks, and breakfast cereals please visit www.cerealwysong.com. Dr. Wysong is a former veterinary clinician and surgeon, college instructor in human anatomy, physiology and the origin of life, inventor of numerous medical, surgical, nutritional, athletic and fitness products and devices, research director for the present company by his name and founder of the philanthropic Wysong Institute. He is author of The Creation-Evolution Controversy now in its twentieth printing, a new two volume set on philosophy for living entitled Thinking Matters: 1-Living Life... As If Thinking Matters; 2-The Big Questions...As If Thinking Matters, several books on nutrition, prevention and health for people and animals and over 18 years of monthly health newsletters. He may be contacted at Wysong@Wysong.net and a free subscription to his e-Health Letter is available at http://www.wysong.net. Also check out http://www.cerealwysong.com

Category : General Self Help

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