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Tuesday, October 18
Asking4SignsWhenManifesting
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 01:19 PM PDT
I remember back when I was first teaching myself to have things in my life the way I wanted them. And I very clearly remember usually being in some fear state of needing something to show up to get me out of some jam I was in. It usually had to do with money or some relationship thing, be it business or pleasure. (It's the same for all of us, is it not? Even me.) I HAD to believe this new level of information I was teaching myself worked. I had to, because I could see no other options. I wanted to know it worked, I needed for it to work, or my life was going to cave in somewhere, again. (So I thought) That's where most of us begin. Our personality has not yet begun a smooth blending with our higher aspects. Our personality wants to hold on to what it has known before, and that's the part we feel in our emotional body which then adds up to fear. So there we sit. There I sat. In my favorite chair. Looking across the room to the wall; talking, praying outloud for some sign that this that I was doing was going to bail me out of this jam I was in. I was calling on Guides/God/Angels/Cherubs, anything that I knew had any spiritual affiliation, I was calling them all in for help. Many of us do that anyway......however, if we are not *clear* and if we are not doing other mechanics to move us on to our answer, then we will be right back in that chair and praying to the wailing wall, over and over again. Even in the fear, I still did *the stuff*. The energy work. I got clear on what I wanted to happen. I knew how to get clear. I was good at that. I needed to know how to ask. I was good at that too. The catch was, I hadn't done it long enough to KNOW for sure that it would work. This is that moment where we ask for signs, for confirmation of something we need is in fact going to show up. But then there are those that tell us......*If you ask for a sign, then it means you are doubting, and if you are in doubt, then it won't come.* HoggyWash! This creating on purpose stuff, using energy dynamics, means we can do what ever we want, as long as it works for us. Asking is Asking. There are different levels to asking. But bottom line, asking is about desire, and desire is sent to us from our higher aspects to get us to expand beyond what we think we know, and who we think we are, and what we think we are capable of. If we are considering seriously......and I do mean seriously teaching ourselves how to work with the invisible magic space that we are walking around in, then as we do, please be understanding of the fear that may show itself. Fear has it's job to do. It too is an entity seeking expansion. That thing we need to happen, can very well happen even tho we are in fear and doubt, as long as we are using the *mechanics* to get that thing we want. What we will find out, is that it can feel better than it does. We don't have to be feeling all of that panic and stress. That's one of the steps that these energy mechanics gets rid of. And doing that over and over again, (practice/applying), brings you to the place of your life being taken care of even before you get to it.! Some of you know exactly what I mean! (Susan James Copyright 2005 http://www.susanjames.org ) ================================================= . Author/Consultant Susan James writes of User Friendly Physics and The Immaculate Physics Applications to our lives. From Millionaires to Weight Loss, Susan writes from personal application of Maverick Momentum methods. For information on award winning books and courses along with free e-media please visit the below websites: QMX2-PinkPortalMoneyTap-5andDimeMillions See Main BLOG: http://www.susanjames.org/news http://www.susanjames.org Both A Division of Vast Five Productions Copyright. ================================================= .
Internet - A Medium or a Message? (Part V )
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 01:19 PM PDT
Internet - A Medium or a Message? (Part V ) By Sam Vaknin Author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" These essays were published by the Israeli (Hebrew) edition of PC Magazine back in 1996, when the Internet was in its formative epoch. I have left them essentially unchanged, except for a few minor errata I corrected. I find time travel fascinating. It is interesting to recall the mainstream view, ten years ago, about the Internet, its goals, its role, and its future. So, here goes: The Money Where will the capital needed to finance all these developments come from? Again, there are two schools: One says that sites will be financed through advertising - and so will search engines and other applications accessed by users. Certain ASPs (Application Service Providers which rent out access to application software which resides on their servers) are considering this model. The second version is simpler and allows for the existence of non- commercial content. It proposes to collect negligible sums (cents or fractions of cents) from every user for every visit ("micro-payments") or a subscription fee. These accumulated cents or subscription fees will enable the owners of old sites to update and to maintain them and encourage entrepreneurs to develop new ones. Certain content aggregators (especially of digital textbooks) have adopted this model (Questia, Fathom). The adherents of the first school pointed at the 5 million USD invested in advertising during 1995 and to the 60 million or so invested during 1996. Its opponents point exactly at the same numbers: ridiculously small when contrasted with more conventional advertising modes. The potential of advertising on the net is limited to 1.5 billion USD annually in 1998, thundered the pessimists (many thought that even half that would be very nice). The actual figure was double the prediction but still woefully small and inadequate to support the Internet's content development. Compare these figures to the sale of Internet software ($4 billion), Internet hardware ($3 billion), Internet access provision ($4.2 billion) in 1995. Hembrecht and Quist estimated that Internet related industries scooped up 23.2 billion USD annually (A report released in mid-1996). And what follows advertising is hardly more enocuraging. The consumer interacts and the product is delivered to him. This - the delivery phase - is a slow and enervating epilogue to the exciting affair of ordering through the net at the speed of light. Too many consumers still complain that they do not receive what they ordered, or that delivery is late and products defective. The solution may lie in the integration of advertising and content. Pointcast, for instance, integrated advertising into its news broadcasts, continuously streamed to the user's screen, even when inactive (they provided a downloadable active screen saver and ticker in a "push technology"). Downloading of digital music, video and text (e-books) will lead to immediate gratification of the consumer and will increase the efficacy of advertising. Whatever the case may be, a uniform, agreed upon system of rating as a basis for charging advertisers, is sorely needed. There is also the question of what does the advertiser pay for? Many advertisers (Procter and Gamble, for instance) refuse to pay according to the number of hits or impressions (=entries, visits to a site). They agree to pay only according to the number of the times that their advertisement was hit (page views). This different basis for calculation is likely to upset all revenue scenarios. Very few sites of important, respectable newspapers are on a subscription basis. Dow Jones (Wall Street Journal) and The Economist, to mention but two. Will this become the prevailing trend? (continued) ============================================================== AUTHOR BIO (must be included with the article) Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com
Internet Entrepreneurs Will Take Control of the Real Estate Industry
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 10:31 AM PDT
Before the Bell
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 10:29 AM PDT
Here they are the most widely-read stories on TheStreet.com now:
Futures Sit Still Ahead of PPI Robert Holmes Stock futures were quiet Tuesday as investors awaited data on wholesale inflation and IBM's mixed earnings provided only limited support. Refco Inc. Cuts Cord After Cutting Deal Matthew Goldstein Refco Inc., the scandal-tarred derivatives brokerage, filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after cutting a deal to sell its primary business to a group led by hedge fund J.C. Flowers. The filing, a nightmare scenario for investors who have been unable to trade the stock since Thursday, covers Refco Inc. but not the regulated subsidiaries Refco LLC and Refco Securities. The company agreed to sell Refco LLC to a consortium led by J.C. Flowers for $768 million, although it expects the bankruptcy court to entertain competing offers. Muscle Time for Motorola Scott Moritz Cell-phone bulls will get a chance to see if their expectations have climbed too high this week as Motorola and Nokia deliver earnings reports. If projections are right and the business outlook is bright, Wall Street will be reaching for places to pinch itself after Motorola posts its third-quarter numbers later Tuesday. And, at least according to the script, the wireless growth party is likely to continue when No. 1 handset maker Nokia opens its books Thursday. IBM Gets a Passing Grade Ronna Abramson A deeper look at IBM's third-quarter earnings release put investors in a forgiving mood Tuesday morning. Amid a burst of positive analyst commentary, shares of the hardware and services giant rose in early trading. While noting a spotty revenue performance, Wall Street embraced strong gross margins and hardware sales in bidding up the stock. After the bell Monday, IBM posted third-quarter earnings of $1.52 billion, or 94 cents a share, on sales of $21.53 billion. Intel Talking in the Dark Bill Snyder How far has mighty Intel fallen? Wall Street is so tepid about the giant chipmaker's immediate prospects that most analysts say the company would have to work hard to disappoint when it reports third-quarter results after Tuesday's closing bell. "Anything other than a worst-case scenario should result in stock-price appreciation," says Merrill Lynch analyst Joseph Osha, who has plenty of company. Wall Street figures that Intel is likely to post an in-line quarter, but there's not a lot of chatter about a large surprise to the upside, or to the downside, for that matter. Daily Investing Tip 'Mad Money' Recap: Georgia Gulf Excursion The stock of Georgia Gulf is headed higher and probably by more than a little. There is a shortage of PVC and chlor- alkali, two chemicals produced by Georgia Gulf. The conventional wisdom, though, is that China is building a number of plants to produce PVC and chlor-alkali, and when those plants come online, prices will plummet. But I believe the conventional wisdom is wrong. China is not going to have the capacity to produce nearly as much of these chemicals as people are expecting. -- James Cramer, TheStreet.com Guy Lerner This Market Has Real Potential It's not enough to be bullish. We have to recognize just how much opportunity is here so we're ready to trade. Jeff Cooper S&P Could Be Getting a Leg Down Any further weakness below 1176 would suggest this is only the midpoint of the decline.
2005 Distance Learning Awards Presented
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:45 AM PDT
DDD Launches 3D TV Set Top Conversion Box
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:41 AM PDT
SANTA MONICA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 18, 2005--DDD Group plc
(LSE:DDD), the 3D software and content company, today announces the introduction of the TriDef(R) Vision+ 3D set top box ('Vision+'). Vision+ automatically converts most popular consumer video formats to 3D as they are watched, allowing any broadcast, DVD and videocassette content to be presented in 3D on the latest 3D displays and projection systems. The delivery of the Vision+ set top box represents the final milestone in a GBP 140,000 development agreement with Arisawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. ('Arisawa'), announced in late 2004. By combining the real time 3D conversion capabilities of the Vision+ with the large 30" 3D LCD displays developed by Arisawa's optoelectronics division, Arisawa and DDD have delivered an efficient and effective solution for mass-market 3D television. Using Arisawa's innovative 3D optics, the flat screen 3D televisions are capable of displaying conventional 2D pictures as well as 3D. When the viewer decides to watch in 3D, they simply activate the Vision+ set top box using their remote control and put on a pair of 3D glasses. The system then delivers 3D images from any viewing position in the living room with the same clarity and quality as the latest 3D digital cinemas. In addition to the real time conversion feature, the Vision+ also supports the playback of specially made 3D movies. This yields an important in-home distribution channel for the latest generation of Hollywood 3D movies that are in production for the new 3D digital cinemas that are presently being opened around the United States. The Vision+ is compatible with DVD, video and broadcast standards used in the United States, Japan and Europe. Vision+ also supports twin projectors allowing it to be used in trade show and professional/educational venues where big screen 3D is required for large audiences. Both Arisawa and DDD are now actively engaged in presentations and discussions with leading flat screen display manufacturers with the goal of licensing the combined solution for mass-market 3D television. "Vision+ represents another substantial achievement for our company," said Chris Yewdall, Chief Executive of DDD. "DDD's real time 3D conversion solutions have been instrumental in our recent agreements for PC and mobile telephone solutions while Vision+ now allows us to expand the 3D viewing experience into more popular consumer products including 3D flat screen television. We are very pleased with the visual quality that we have achieved in conjunction with Arisawa and we are now jointly focused on securing mass market licensees for our combined solution." "We are excited by the recent reaction to the combined Arisawa/DDD 3D television solution," said Dr. Sanji Arisawa, President and Chief Executive Officer of Arisawa. "We are seeing increasing interest in consumer 3D television and we expect that this easy to use solution will demonstrate that the television market is now within reach for our prospective licensees." Notes to Editors About DDD DDD, also known as Dynamic Digital Depth, is transforming the viewing experience with applications for glasses-free 3D displays. Its patented technologies enable 3D viewing without glasses; simple integration of computer graphics applications with 3D displays; supply of 3D content through 2D to 3D conversion; and 3D transmission over existing networks. DDD is quoted on the London Stock Exchange's Alternative Investment Market (AIM:DDD). -- A new category of flat screen LCD and plasma displays are being developed and marketed by major consumer electronics companies that provide stereoscopic 3D images without the need for the viewer to wear glasses. Stereoscopic 3D images appear to have natural in and off-screen depth. 3D displays have already been included with mobile telephones in Japan and in desktop PC displays and notebook computers in North America and Japan. -- In July 2005, DDD announced a two-year license agreement to integrate its DDD Mobile(TM) real time 3D conversion software with a 3D mobile telephone handset for one of the world's top five handset manufacturers. -- In March 2005, DDD announced that it had extended the three-year license agreement with Sharp Corporation to include the TriDef DVD Player real time 3D conversion software with Sharp's latest Actius AL3D 3D notebook PC. -- DDD's solutions provide an important bridge between conventional two dimensional (2D) applications and content and the new 3D displays. Normal 2D pictures, video and computer graphics images are manipulated by DDD's patented software enabling them to be displayed on 3D displays without requiring the content to be created specially for a 3D display. DDD offers automatic and operator guided 3D conversion solutions. -- DDD licenses these software applications, marketed under the TriDef(R) and DDD Mobile (TM) brand names, to manufacturers for inclusion with the 3D display products supplied to end users. DDD also licenses the software directly to end users who already own 3D displays and through an international sales channel. -- In July 2005, DDD announced a partnership with Jamster! International Sarl to convert Jamster's popular mobile phone content library to 3D for distribution to owners of 3D mobile phones. -- DDD is currently expanding the product range to allow its content solutions to be used on future 3D display products including 3D digital cinema. More information is available at www.DDD.com. About Arisawa Arisawa is a materials company with three divisions specializing in electrical insulating materials and industrial structure materials, electronics related materials and products and optoelectronics related material and products. Arisawa's optoelectronics division has been involved in the design and development of 3D optical materials and 3D displays since 1997. Founded in 1909, Arisawa has been listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange since 1961. For the fiscal year ended 31 March 2005, turnover and operating income amounted to approximately GBP 288 million and GBP 49 million, respectively. More information can be found at http://www.arisawa.co.jp/en/index.html. TriDef and DDD Mobile are trademarks of DDD Group plc. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. ARISAWA is a registered trademark of Arisawa Manufacturing Co., Ltd. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners. Contacts DDD Group plc Chris Yewdall, +1 (310) 566-3340 info@ddd.com or Bell Pottinger Corporate & Financial Nick Lambert, +44 (0) 20 7861-3232
Times Online Launches NewspaperDirect's SmartEdition ePaper Solution
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:40 AM PDT
A Guide To Performance Management
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:20 AM PDT
Nowadays, a great significance is being given to Performance Management, as companies incorporate them in their effective management strategies. However, a lot of people find this process a complicated one, mostly because of the many options that it offers – on the organization, a specific department/branch, a product or service, and on employees, among others. In order to minimize this confusion, the items below will give you a general idea of what Performance Management is all about as well as the activities that are involved in this process. What is Performance Management? Performance management is a process that provides both the manager and the employee (the person being supervised) the chance to determine the shared goals that relates to the overall goals of the company by looking into employee performance. Why is it important? Performance Management establishes an outline for employees and their performance managers to assess and to come to an agreement on certain concerns and aims that are in accordance with the overall structure of the company. This enables both parties to have clear objectives that would help them in their work and in their professional growth. Who conducts Performance Management? Performance Management is carried out by those who oversee the performance of other people – work/team leaders, supervisors, managers, directors, or department chairs. What are the processes involved? Below are the phases of the Performance Management process: 1. Planning This phase of Performance Management process includes establishing job descriptions and identifying the employee's essential functions as well as defining the strategic plan/s of the department or the company as a whole. Job Description A job description is used to advertise a vacant position, which typically specifies the following: - The specific functions, tasks, and responsibilities of the position - The amount of time needed to act upon each function - The qualifications needed (skills, knowledge and abilities) to perform the job - The physical and mental requirements of the position - Salary range for the position - To whom the position reports Job descriptions should be disclosed to the employee as soon as he or she is hired. Note, however, that job descriptions are listed using words that make it difficult to measure the employee's performance. They are in contrast with competencies, which list the skills needed in performing such tasks and are described using terms that can be measured. Strategic Plan In effect, a strategic plan tells you three things: - Where the company is heading in the coming year/s. - How the company is going to get there. - How the company will know if it is already there or not. Included in a strategic plan are the following: Mission statement – the primary reason why your department (or company) exists. Goals – associated with the mission statement, they determine the results that will advance said statement/s. Strategic initiatives – specifies definite steps that must be taken to accomplish each goal. It is a dynamic process, usually examined during periods such as one or two years. 2. Developing This phase of Performance Management process includes developing performance standards, which offers a scale that describes how a specific job should be performed in order to meet (or exceed) expectations. They are explained to newly hired employees and are later used to evaluate work performance. Performance standards are generally outlined with the help of the employees who actually perform the tasks or functions. There are a number of advantages with this approach: - The standards will be suitable to the requirements of the job - The standards will be applicable to actual work conditions - The standards will be easily understood by the employee (and performance manager as well) - The standards will be acknowledged (and received) by the employee and the performance manager Standards of performance are usually in the form of ratings (1 to 5, A to E) that are used by performance managers to rate the employee's actual level of performance. 3. Monitoring This phase of the Performance Management process includes monitoring employee's work performances and giving feedback about them. As the basis of feedback, observations should be verifiable: they should involve noticeable and work-related facts, events, behaviors, actions, statements, and results. Feedback of this type is called behavioral feedback, and they help employees improve and/or sustain good performance by precisely identifying the areas that the employee needs to improve without judging his or her character or motives. 4. Rating This phase includes conducting performance evaluations. This is the critical aspect of the Performance Management process, especially because it is important for performance managers to arrive at an unbiased assessment. A performance appraisal form has the following features: - Employee information - Performance standards - Rating scale - Signatures - Employee performance development recommendations - Employee comments - Employee's Self-appraisal Why conduct performance appraisals? It provides an opportunity to improve performance in the future not only for employees, but for managers as well. Performance appraisals enable managers to acquire information from employees that will help them make employee's jobs more productive. 5. Development Planning This phase of the Performance Management process includes establishing plans for improved employee performance and development goals. This advances the overall goal of the company and at the same time increases the quality of work by employees by: - Encouraging constant learning and professional growth. - Helping employees maintain the level of performance that meets (and exceeds) expectations. - Improving job - or career-related skills and experience. In closing, Performance Management is a process that, when executed fairly and effectively, can improve the quality of the company's workforce, raise standards, increase job satisfaction, and develop professionalism and expertise that would benefit not only the employees but the entire organization as well. About The Author: For more great performance management info and advice check out: http://www.performance-mngt.com
Flowers Are A Great Gift
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:05 AM PDT
Flowers are a great gift, useful in home decoration or in
landscaping. When thinking about what to grow in any certain space, one has a wide array of choices for what kind of flowers would best be planted. Choices many times have to do with when the flowers should bloom and when they will be most appreciated. Wildflowers, of course, are available in abundance. Gathering and pressing wildflowers is a popular pastime, and for those who live near open fields or other natural places, a bouquet of wildflowers is the easiest way. The bright array of blossoms that can be gathered in the wild require no effort other than finding and picking. If you are trying to grow flowers in a specific bed, there are many choices, having mostly to do with when the flowers will bloom. A basic choice is between annual flowers, which last only for one growing season, or the hardier perennials, which can grow for years and years if properly cultivated. Annual flowers can be better for a longer blooming time, for more robust blossoms, and for more micromanaged growing conditions. Perennials in many cases will produce less vivid flowers over a number of years. There are also Biennials, flowers which don't blossom at all the first growing season and die after the second. There are obvious disadvantages to biennials, but for the avid gardener, they remain part of a varied flower bed. Annuals come in different varieties, and some are more fragile than others. More delicate plants, called 'tender' annuals, are probably more for the advanced gardener and in suitable conditions. Stronger annuals will be more likely to outlast rough soil or handling and other potential problems. Some annuals can withstand the vestiges of frost or stand up to the elements in other ways. Perennials, then, need to be studied for their blossoming patterns, and for other particular growing conditions. Perhaps the most popular perennial is the rose, grown in thorny bushes. The rose is among the most familiar flowers, used widely in our social rituals, as a gift between lovers or friends, and enjoyed as the subject of classic poetry and literature. Rose bushes are tenacious and with the right conditions can provide lasting enjoyment in your yard or garden. The gardener will want to look at growing conditions, as also at color schemes, to create a vivid and eye-catching garden. Consider whether the plants will be needed only for a season, or whether they should last into future years, growing along with their tenders. In any case, a lively crop of blooming beauties will enable the gardener to do as the florists suggest: Say it with Flowers. About The Author: Alan Jason Smith is the owner of http://www.agoraflowers.com which is a great place to find flowers links, resources and articles. For more information go to: http://www.agoraflowers.com
Top 7 Ways To Profit From Foreign Trade
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:04 AM PDT
Here are seven excellent ways to earn income from international trade. 1. Importing: Retail store owners can find additional products to sell from foreign manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. You may even decide to go exclusively into the import business and become a wholesale distributor. 2. Exporting: Manufacturers can find new customers for their products in foreign countries. You could also become an Export Management Agent. Arrange for other domestic companies to sell their products to foreign corporations and earn a commission. 3. Licensing: Consider becoming a licensing agent. Earn royalties by arranging for foreign corporations to manufacture and sell the products of domestic companies. 4. Finder`s Fees: You can earn fees from domestic companies for finding foreign buyers (or for finding suitable imports from foreign suppliers). You can also earn fees from foreign companies for finding domestic corporations that will buy their products (or for finding suitable suppliers and products from domestic corporations). 5. Drop Shipping: Visualize receiving an order from a customer based in a foreign country and not having to be bothered with shipping and handling the product. No customs declarations or brokers are required by you. This is because your drop ship supplier is handling those details. 6. Mail Order: Add a mail order service to your existing business operation. Manufacturers, retail stores, and other businesses can increase their sales by using this additional method of selling that is very conducive to international trade. 7. Internet Marketing: You can also extend your reach to worldwide customers by means of the Internet. Methods of obtaining foreign business include affiliate marketing, online auctions, online stores, and websites. About The Author: Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years. For more information about international trade and other profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/impexp.html
De-Stress Yourself With Water, Oxygen And Sunlight!
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:04 AM PDT
Oxygen, water and sunlight are the most basic life giving
elements on this earth. Without them we have no existence here, but our current lifestyles being so hectic, we seem to take it all for granted and not much thought goes into the fact that we need these elements daily to survive properly. Our bodies are 70% water and we extract water from what we eat and drink. No doubt you've heard that you should drink eight glasses of water per day. This is true although some people may need even more than that. Water is what hydrates you. Drinks like coffee, sodas and alcohol will dehydrate you. Not to say that you should never drink them, but if you do, then drink extra water to make up for it. How do you know if you are dehydrated? Here are some tips: 1) If you push your finger down on your skin and it does not pop back up immediately but feels a bit mushy and comes back slower, then you are dehydrated. 2) If your urine is dark yellow and has an odor, then you are dehydrated. Urine should be fairly clear and odor free. Note: there are foods such as asparagus or b-vitamins that will give your urine a dark color but that is natural and nothing to worry about. 3) If you are fatigued, your skin is flushed or your lips or mouth is dry then you may be dehydrated. Sunlight is another element that we need to survive. We get lots of warnings that we need to protect ourselves from the sun and to use sunscreen and stay indoors as much as possible. There is some merit to that, but we get vitamin D directly from the sun and you only need about 15 to 20 minutes to get that. Plus if you are like me, a few days of non-stop rain can be very depressing. As soon as the sun comes up, my spirits rise dramatically. Enjoying the sunshine can give you that boost, lift your spirits and make you feel better. Relaxing in the sun, a great way to de-stress. Oxygen! Getting enough is vital, but alas, we have become shallow breathers and many more of us than you realize don't get enough oxygen. How, you say? Well, just look at the couch potato watching TV all day, or people that have machines that do most of the work for us. How often have you seen lawn maintenance personnel sitting on a lawn mower cutting the grass? We used to get out and push. It was a huff and puff job but you certainly would be breathing hard afterwards. Kids used to walk to school, now they take buses or get driven to school. How many of us sit in an office all day working at our computers. Then we go out for a sit down lunch, work some more and get home and relax in front of the TV for the rest of the night trying to unwind from the mental stress of the day. Sleep and do the same routine the next day and the next day and so on. When Do We Really Move Our Bodies? There are a certain percentage of people that will go to the gym regularly or do cardio workouts and then you have people who dance etc. For those of you already doing that, my hats off to you. We need oxygen for all the cells in our bodies to be healthy. The best way to do that is to move our bodies around and breath deeply. Most exercise classes will get you there. It does not matter if you do weights, yoga, running or walking. Get yourself moving and breathing. You can also do breathing exercises while sitting or lying down. Get yourself comfortable and slowly breath in through your nose and then slowly release from your mouth. Do this several times. Take a break for a few minutes and do it again several more times. I did this while I was on an airplane and was amazed at how much better I felt. I've done this ever since. It works great! In short, drink water, breath deeply and get some sun (in moderation)! You'll feel better! If you can't seem to get yourself motivated to do this then try putting up some motivational posters to get you going. Put them in places where you will see them often to remind you. It works for me! About The Author: Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, and artist. We all need a little push sometimes to get things done which is why Willie in addition to researching and writing promotes Motivational Posters at http://www.artinspires.com. Don't forget to enroll in the motivational poster drawing. All winner receive a free framed
Bob Dylan
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:03 AM PDT
1. Crooning Bob, Hidden Muse 2. Masked & Anonymous 3. Robert Allen Zimmerman 4. Elston Gunn 5. A Star Is Born 6. A Legend Mends A Legend 7. Emergence 8. Bringing It All Back Home 9. Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid 10. Grammy Time 11. Pope On The Red Line 12. In Their Father's Footsteps? 13. Albums Of The Year 14. Hollywood Hit List 15. Jack Fate 16. Award Monger 17. The Missing Beatle? "I think of a hero as someone who understands the degree of responsibility that comes with his freedom." - Bob Dylan 1. Crooning Bob, Hidden Muse Recently a Japanese writer named Junichi Saga was astonished and flattered to learn that passages from one of his books apparently found their way into a few of Bob Dylan's lyrics. In Bob Dylan's 2001 song, "Floater", he croons - "My old man, he's like some feudal lord, got more lives than a cat." "I'm not quite as cool or forgiving as I sound" "Sometimes somebody wants you to give something up, and tears or not, it's too much to ask." On page six of Junicihi Saga's book, "Confessions of a Yakuza", he writes - "My old man would sit there like a feudal lord." "I'm not as cool or forgiving as I might have sounded." Then on page 182, writes - "Tears or not, though, that was too much to ask." The practitioner of Chinese medicine resounded that the revelation of Dylan calling upon his own work was surprising. This could be counted as a literary theft of sorts, but the author has stated he has no plans to sue. "Why would I sue? To take something that made people around the world happy and try to exploit it for money - that's poverty.", stated Saga. "This shows that people in other countries can relate to the harsh realities of prewar Japan, which was a poor, struggling nation. I'm just happy somebody read my book and liked it.", said Saga. "My book hasn't even sold that well, and it's out of print in Japan." He further added he has estimated to have only made about $8,475 from the publication. A few weeks ago, Saga bought his first Bob Dylan CD, "The Best of Bob Dylan". 2. Masked & Anonymous Would you reach out a hand to save a drowning man if you thought he might pull you in? This is the tagline for Bob's latest film called, "Masked & Anonymous". In it, Bob plays, Jack Fate, a singer whose career has gone on a downward spiral and is forced to make a comeback to the performance stage for a benefit concert. For this film he was joined by some of Hollywood's hottest and brightest, all of which reportedly signed onto the film at scale rates. The cast includes: John Goodman, Jessica Lange, Luke Wilson, Jeff Bridges, Penelope Cruz, Reggie Lee, Angela Bassett, Steven Bauer, Larry Campbell, Bruce Dern, Alex Desert, Treva Etienne, Dan Frischman, Tony Garnier, Laura Elena Harring, Ed Harris, Shawn Michael Howard, Val Kilmer, Bruce Kirschbaum, Antonio David Lyons, Cheech Marin, Chris Penn, George Receli, Giovanni Ribisi, Mickey Rourke, Sam Sarpong, Charlie Sexton, Jon Sklaroff, Christian Slater and Fred Ward. On top of all of that, T-Shirt King friend, Keri Bruno, pulls 2nd Unit Directing duties on the talent heavy film. The film hits theatres in a limited US release on July 25th. 3. Robert Allen Zimmerman At 5 foot six inches, Robert Allen Zimmerman might be a slight man, but under the name Bob Dylan, he is a legendary giant of a musician. 4. Elston Gunn Robert Allen Zimmerman was born May 24th 1941 in Duluth, Minnesota. His father, Abe, was employed by the Standard Oil Company there, but when Robert was six the family moved to Hibbing, Minnesota. The one riddling note about Hibbing is that is very often the coldest place in the United States. Yikes. Growing up there he taught himself piano and guitar and formed several high school rock bands. Around this time he toyed with the stage name, "Elston Gunn". 5. A Star Is Born By 1959, Robert entered the University of Minnesota and began performing under the name Bob Dylan at clubs in Minnesota and St. Paul. 6. A Legend Mends A Legend In 1960 he traveled to New York to perform in various folk clubs throughout Greenwich Village. While in New York he spent time with his idol, Woody Guthrie at his hospital room. 7. Emergence Late in 1961 he landed a contract with Columbia Records and the following year his debut album was released with two original songs. A year after that, "The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" emerged with an all original album, including a song that became an anthem of the '60's - "Blowin' in the Wind". 8. Bringing It All Back Home In February 1964 Dylan and a small group of friends drove south out of New York City and stopped in unannounced to see poet 'Carl Sandburg' in North Carolina. Disappointingly, Dylan left only 10 minutes after arriving when he realized he couldn't get the venerable man of letters to take him seriously as a fellow poet. He popped folk-rock into the mainstream after touring with Joan Baez with his own flavor of electric/acoustic swagger, culminating with his hit song, "Bringing it all Back Home". Soon after the Byrd's turned his song "Mr. Tambourine Man" into another hit with their cover version of the famous tune. 9. Pat Garrett And Billy The Kid Following a motorcycle accident in 1966 which took him out of the limelight until 1969. Around that time, Sam Peckinpah asked him to compose the score and appear in his film, "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid". This would be the only the beginning of a long and continuing relationship with Hollywood and filmmaking. 10. Grammy Time In 1974, Bob Dylan and The Band hit the road to promote their first number one album, "Planet Waves". The next year they had another chart-topper with the release of, "Blood on the Tracks". He followed that with several Rolling Thunder tours, a film called, "Renaldo and Clara" and then stunned the music world with the release of his fundamentalist Christian album, "Slow Train Coming". A song from this album garnered him his first Grammy. 11. Pope On The Red Line In May 1997, he was stricken with histaplasmosis, a possibly fatal infection of the heart sac, but recovered to take on a tour of Europe. He kicked off the trip by September, starting off in Rome by special request of the Pope. 12. In Their Father's Footsteps? His son Jakob Dylan has made a good time semi-emulating his infamous father with his own band, The Wallflowers. However, his Jesse Dylan has taken a slightly altered route to stardom, opting for the glamour of Tinsletown. His first major directing gig is about to be released, "American Pie 3". Jesse also directed a film called, "How High" and appears with a special thanks credit on "The Matrix Revisited". 13. Albums Of The Year He is truly legendary, his 1997 album, "Time Out of Mind" and his 2001 album "Love and Theft" were both voted Album of the Year by the Village Voice's annual critics' poll. Seems like a no-brainer to us. 14. Hollywood Hit List He has composed and recorded songs or had his recorded songs used in the following films: Gods & Generals Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Vanilla Sky Bandits Blow Remember the Titans High Fidelity Wonder Boys The Hurricane American Beauty Hope Floats Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas The Big Lebowski Jerry Maguire Breaking the Waves With Honors Dogfight Band of the Hand American Pop Renaldo and Clara Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid 15. Jack Fate The small $10 million dollar film, "Masked & Anonymous" was directed by veteran TV comedy director, Larry Charles, who has also helmed shows for, "Mad About You", "Seinfeld" and "Curb Your Enthusiasm". He appeared on the TV show, "Dharma & Greg" playing himself. When he met Conan O'Brien at a recent concert, Bob was quoted as saying, "I know you from the TeeVee." 16. Award Monger He has received numerous awards of note, including: The Polar Music Prize from the Royal Swedish Academy of Music in 2000, The Commandeur dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres from France in 1990, an honorary doctorate from Princeton University in 1970 and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Bruce Springteen at New York's Waldorf Astoria Hotel in 1988. 17. The Missing Beatle? He appears on the sleeve of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club". At the famous "Johnny Cash at San Quentin" concert, Johnny Cash introduced a song he co-wrote with Dylan by describing his as "�the greatest writer of our times." About The Author: To read more articles by Chad, visit the American Pop Culture Encyclopedia at: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com. If you would like to read this article, or others like it, on American Pop Culture Encyclopedia, visit: http://www.americanpopcultureencyclopedia.com/bob%20dylan.htm
Gas Rewards Credit Cards Save You Money At The Pumps
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:02 AM PDT
Gas prices breaking your budget? Switch to a cash back credit card rewards plan and save 2% to 5% on all your purchases at your favorite gas station. For credit savvy consumers that can make a difference in real dollars and cents. Branded gas company cards can cost you By using a major credit card offered by Visa, Mastercard or American Express for your gasoline purchases you can save a lot of money over a branded gas company card, such as Shell, Amoco, Citgo or Exxon. Usually these gasoline branded cards have a much higher interest rate, usually about 21% or more. Transfer your balance and you could save even more Another plus - by transferring your credit card to a cash rewards credit card, you can often take advantage of a 0% APR credit card balance transfer, and save even more. As gasoline prices edge ever higher, this can be a welcome breather to a strained household budget. How cash back credit card rewards or rebates work Typically, cash rewards cards offer you rebates on all purchases, including groceries, retail items, movie tickets as well as gas. Cash back credit card rewards are sent to you either as a check or as a credit to your account. These amounts can add up significantly if you travel or put in many miles commuting. Not all cash rewards are alike Some gas companies will "brand" their company specific card with a Visa, or Mastercard logo, for example, and can be used anywhere — but you will only receive a cash reward if you purchase gas from that specific station. These types of cards are limiting as to how and where you can use them, and you won't always get the lowest price on gas. If you really want to save For consumers who pay off their credit card balances every month, this type of cash back credit card can really be beneficial, by providing a cash rewards with only a token finance charge. Look for a credit card offer with no annual fee, or transfer your balance to a 0% APR credit card that also offers cash back rebates. So, if gas prices are breaking you budget, consider switching to a gas rewards credit card offering cash back. Used wisely, cash back credit cards can be a useful tool in balancing your budget. Copyright 2005 Ed Vegliante. About The Author: Ed Vegliante is the owner of http://www.credit-card-surplus.com , a well organized credit card directory enabling the user to compare and apply for a variety of credit credit card offers. Find links to secure online credit card applications.
Tanning Is Great! But Get Some Sun Protective Swimwear.
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:02 AM PDT
Summer is the season of fun at the beach and there is plenty of sunlight making it imperative to put on sun protective swimwear . Whilst the great pastime time during this period is sun bathing, the greatest danger lurking along beaches and swimming pools is ultra violet rays from the sun. Ultra violet rays are emissions from the sun that has the potential of causing damage to unprotected skin surface. Sun protective swimwear are clothing that we put on to fend off the negative effects that these radiations can have on the body. The manufacture of sun protective swimwear is an elaborate process. Although the clothes themselves are made up of ordinary, everyday fabrics, it is the lining and the special treatment of the clothes that turn them into sun protective swimwear. One technology is to use durable, breathable, lightweight, and very comfortable fabric with a 4-way stretch. The inner part of the fabric is lined with the ultra violet light protective coating. If the sun protective swimwear is going to be used for swimming in a pool, then it is made from chlorine resistant swim fabric. For people who are highly sensitive to sunrays or photosensitive skin or skin cancer, the choice is high-SPF clothing. These contain containing colorless compounds, and treated resins that absorb ultra violet light. The essence of sun protective swimwear is to reflect as much as possible, the dangerous ultra violet rays from the sun as much as possible. This means, shiny, silky or reflective clothing are the best. Another technique is to use tightly woven micro fiber containing enhanced titanium dioxide which diffuses ultra violet light and CoolMax mesh to ensure ventilation and moisture management. There are several types of sun protective swimwear available. There are some for babies, some for men and some for women. Between these we have ordinary and high end designer swimwear. Although all of them have the protection against the sun, there are vast differences in quality of fabric, design and appearance. There are some sun protective swimwear that cover the entire body and some that are just top wear, shorts or pants. With the high end fashion, you can have two, three and even sometimes four piece sun protective swimwear with a hat or sunglasses to match. Of increasing popularity are men's sun protective swimwear comprising of a shirt, shorts and matching glasses. These products are both in the regular version and high end fashion. Before we get on to why we need sun protective swimwear , it may be helpful to look at ultra violet rays. Ultraviolet rays (UV) or radiation is the invisible rays that are part of the energy that comes from the sun. UV radiation can damage the skin, cause melanoma and other types of skin cancer. There are two types of UV rays - there is the UVA which causes ordinary sun burn and the UVB which penetrate deeper into the skin to cause melanoma and other types of skin cancer. Physiologically, overexposure to UV radiation can disturb the body's immune system and the skin's natural defenses. Sun protective swimwear offers you a kind of filtering against these harmful rays. People most susceptible to these rays are those with light clothing and in areas where there is no overhead protection like the beach. Sun protective swimwear is also needed during summer when the sun shines a lot and consequently emits more ultra violet rays. If you are interested in the stats, • 1.3 million New cases of skin cancer are diagnosed each year. • One in five Americans will contract skin cancer. • Malignant melanoma, the worst form of skin cancer, has increased 1,800% since 1930 It is likely that many patients can save themselves the discomfort of these illnesses by putting on some sun protective swimwear . You need to exercise a lot of discretion in buying protective swimwear. Sun protective swimwear is categorized per UPF rating. UPF is the amount of radiation that can pass through the clothing. For example, a fabric with a UPF rating of 15 will permit one fifteenth of the UVR to pass through it and a UPF 20 fabric, one twentieth of the UVR to pass through it. What this mean is, depending your skin sensitivity, you will go for the clothing that suits your skin type, and of course, how long you will be exposed to the sun. It is also important to consider weave type. Generally, the tighter the weave or knit, the better the protection against the sun. The less the light that can pass through the clothing, the better. To test porosity, you can hold the sun protective swimwear against the sun and see how much light comes through. Darker clothes should also be preferred against lighter clothes. The price of a sun protective swimwear ranges from $49.95 upwards and there are several shops offering regular and high end fashion sun protective swimwear. Sun protective swimwear can be pretty expensive and therefore need a lot of care to prolong their life. Here are a few tips on how to care for them: Avoid oil-based suntan lotions which can stain the fabric and cause it to stretch. Stretching increases porosity and consequently permits more UV light to come through. Soak clothes in vinegar to prevent fading which permits more light to come through the clothes. Chlorine can interact with the sun protective swimwear and damage it. Try to soak your body wet before jumping into the pool to minimize the chemical reaction with the chlorine in the pool. Enjoy the sun, tan as you want but be mindful of the danger of UV - put on your sun protective swimwear and save your beautiful skin. About The Author: For more swimwear information, please visit http://www.beach-gear.info
Giant Squid Finally Captured On Film
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:01 AM PDT
On 27 September 2005, the greatest zoological discovery of the century was announced. For the first time ever, a live giant squid was caught on film. The Animal The giant squid (Architeuthis) has been known to humans since ancient times. Giant squid were regular features in many Norwegian tales (where, many believe, it inspired the creature known as the Kraken). The first substantiated report of a real giant squid, was in 1873. The animal was reported to have been attacking a minister and a young boy, near Bell Island, Newfoundland. Five years later, scientists received their first giant squid specimen, when a carcass washed ashore in Glover's Harbor, Newfoundland. What's in a Name? The scientific name for the genus containing the giant squid is: Architeuthis, which translates to: "The ruling squid." How big? The largest giant squid on record was a female that washed ashore on a New Zealand beach in 1887. From end to end, the creature measured 16.8 meters (55 ft) long. Because of the "springiness" of their tentacles, though, this has been viewed as an exaggerated length. If the animal were still alive, it resting length would have been closer to 9.8 meters (32 ft). Elusive Monster Despite knowledge of the existence of this beast for the past 127 years, scientists have never been able to actually capture the creature alive; either in a net, or on film. This was due to a variety of different factors that were not conducive to human capture. Some of these factors included: Depth – Most large squid prefer depths of several hundred, to one thousand meters. This makes it very hard to place fishing nets and bait. Time – Suggested by their gargantuan eyes, and verified by observations of other species, large squid prefer to hunt in areas of the water column, which remain very dark. They usually only come closer to the surface at night. These scenarios present a problem for anyone wanting to film these animals. Pressure – Water pressure increases by one atmosphere for every 9.8 meters (32ft) in depth. Giant squid appear to favor depths between 600-900 meters (1,968 – 2,952 ft). At 900 meters, water pressure is 92 times greater than at the surface. If a large squid were caught at that depth, and brought up, the rapid change in pressure could possibly kill the large animal long before it ever reached the boat. The only choice would be to bring the creature up slowly; a process that would leave plenty of time for it to escape. Seeking Help One telltale way to find giant squid, is to follow one of their primary predators: the sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus). These animals are known hunters of giant squid. Many individuals are known to carry large sucker and claw marks believed to be souvenirs from their epic underwater battles. By figuring out where sperm whales like to hunt, one should be able to get a good idea of where the squid live. By following this process, scientists have been able to get a fairly good estimate of the general living depths for giant squid. Minor Success In February of 2001, Dr. Steve O'Shea, along with the Discovery Channel, caught the first ever living giant squid. In fact, he caught of few of them. The only catch was that they were only larvae. The babies had to be maintained in special pressurized tanks, in order to keep them alive. Unfortunately for Dr. O'Shea, the larvae did not survive the trip back to the mainland. Patience is Key Japanese researchers: Tsunemi Kubodera, and Kyoichi Mori, set out to capture film of an adult giant squid, in the wild. From 2002 to 2004, Kubodera, Mori and their crew, set up remote camera systems in Japanese waters, which were known to harbor sperm whales and giant squid. They hooked depth loggers to the cameras, along with bait rigs dangling below them. For the bait, the researchers used a Japanese common squid on one end, and a mesh bag filled with shrimp, to use as an odor allure on the other end. Finally, on 30 September 2004, Kubodera, Mori and their crew struck gold. A large, 8 meter (26ft) adult squid was caught attacking a piece of bait the researchers had dangling 900 meters below the surface. The Battle At 9:15 AM, the squid attacked the bait. The camera captured the attack on film. During the initial attack, a portion of the squid's tentacle became snagged on the bait rig. At 1:28 PM, the squid finally broke free from its snare. It had struggled on the line for a mind blowing 4 hours! Unexpected Souvenir The struggle to break free was so violent, that the animal actually ripped off the tentacle that was stuck to the bait rig. This tentacle remained attached to the rig, as the researchers brought it up. The leftover squid remnant measured 5.5 meters (18 feet) long! The tentacle was observed to still be sucking and attaching itself to anything it could get a hold of. Truth is Stranger than Fiction Prior to these observations, scientists had assumed that giant squid were sluggish creatures that remained neutrally buoyant in the water column; dangling their long tentacles in order to lure fish in. Now we know that these animals are much more active, and aggressive than we had once thought. Not Over with Yet With the announcement of this discovery, a renewed interest in the giant squid has begun. Many documentary film companies are now attempting to capture even better footage of these animals in their natural habitat. There's Always a Bigger…Mollusc? With all of this renewed hubbub over the giant squid, it should be pointed out that it is not completely unique among squid. As with many things named "giant" in zoology, there always seems to be something else that comes along to dwarf the previous "biggest." Enter the colossal squid (Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni). Though this animal has been known to science since 1925, it never received the acclaim it's smaller (but longer) relative, Architeuthis, got. While the colossal squid doesn't appear to grow as long as the giant squid (their tentacles are shorter), they are many times larger than them. Furthermore, while giant squid are often viewed as the antagonists in battle scenes with sperm whales, there is good reason to suggest that the colossal squid might be responsible for so many battle scarred whales. As previously mentioned, many large sperm whales are found with deep claw marks on their heads. Giant squid tentacles do not have claws on them. They only contain suckers. Colossal squid tentacles, on the other hand, are laced with numerous hooks. Who knows what else awaits discovery down in the murky depths of the ocean. About The Author: The Iconoclast is a student at the University Of New Mexico and part of the web building team at http://www.Gifteteria.com :Gift Giving With A Smile.
Traveling In Costa Rica
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:01 AM PDT
Costa Rica is full of fascinating things to see and do. When you visit Costa Rica the first thing that you will notice is the friendly environment that permeates every aspect of the society in Costa Rica. And there are not many places on earth that are as beautiful all year round as Costa Rica. In Costa Rica you will be able to sit on the beach and luxuriate under the sun or choose from a variety of adventures that you just cannot find back at home. If you are staying in Costa Rica you will want to check out all of their fabulous museums. There are over 30 different fantastic museums in Costa Rica and each of them will take your breath away with their amazing artifacts. You will find some of the most fantastic finds in Costa Rica at their museums. These museums are a great way to spend the day when you need a little break from the sun and the beach. The sun in Costa Rica is powerful so be sure to bring some good sunscreen and a hat, getting sunstroke in Costa Rica is no way to enjoy your vacation. There are many other gorgeous sites to see in Costa Rica besides the sun and the museums and one of them is the variety of trees. If you love the outdoors then Costa Rica is the place for you. There are many hikes and treks that you can go on in Costa Rica that will thrill your senses. You will get too see a good portion of the wildlife in Costa Rica as they go about their daily business, which is always fun and exciting. Costa Rica is a great place to visit either on your own or with others. About The Author: Carmen Ross is the owner of Costa Rica Travel And Real Estate Site. (http://www.costaricatravelandrealestatesite.com). Her site contains information and resources for people interested in traveling to Costa Rica and living in Costa Rica.
Are You Having Sleepless Nights Because Of Your Finances?
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 09:00 AM PDT
You've worked hard all day and come home at night, only to discover that you can't get comfortable in your own bed. You toss and you turn for well over three hours. As 3a.m. approaches, you finally go to sleep but the alarm sounds all too quickly at 6 a.m. It's time for you to go to work. Day two comes and you're off again to the usual rat race. You repeat the same pattern once you get home. Later that night you lay in bed, thinking how you're going to pay all of these bills. Despite your best efforts on the job, including overtime, it doesn't seem to be enough. What can you do? Who can you to turn to? Does this sound like you? Are you a Christian having sleepless nights because of your finances? Here are the top five reasons I have found why people get into debt: 1) Try to live beyond their means. Keep up with the Joneses. 2) Lost job and bills pile up 3) Have never been taught money management 4) Divorcing and the other party charged up cards in the process splitting up 5) Impulse Shopping I too was a victim. Not from just one, but two of these debt catalysts. My husband equally had financial woes, his was still on this list. Being in debt has a way of having a hold on you and causes you not to think clearly. People in debt tend to operate out of fear - for example they ignore phone calls because it might be a collection agency on the other end. How many calls have they missed? Or perhaps, they write a check in the hopes that it will clear the bank; knowing full well they spent the money on luxuries and other needless excesses that have caused the bank account to have insufficient funds. If any of this sounds like you or someone you know, assure them they can get out of debt without filing bankruptcy. They have to want help and not let pride or embarrassment get in their way of being helped. At Journey To Wholeness, we work with people who want help getting their finances in order. There is no charge for our help. Why would you pay someone to help you get out of debt? About The Author: Dr. Taffy Wagner is the author of Debt Dilemma. Debt Dilemma is her own personal story of how she got into debt and was able to get out without filing bankruptcy. She will be launching a national marketing campaign on October 18, 2005. View her website at http://www.paidoff.net/SpecialPromo.html for further details.
Las Vegas Adventure Skydiving
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:59 AM PDT
Las Vegas adventure skydiving is among the most adrenaline rich adventure sports experiences you will find there. Adventure sport of all persuasions has become a popular past time for thrill seekers of all ages. The adrenaline junkie is no longer a crazy person with a death wish, he or she is your everyday adventurer. Skydiving is the most death defying, most rewarding and the most exciting way to fulfill your adventure sports ambitions. As you stand awaiting your jump you begin to appreciate the feeling of security and relative safety inside the plane. Outside the air rushes with incredible force and the earth is a blur of colors below. It seems inconceivable that you are about to leave the safety of the plane to leap into a free fall that will take you thousands of feet closer to the ground at an electric pace. But you do it anyway and there is nothing on earth like the feeling of complete freedom. It is that feeling that adventure sports junkies crave and it is that precise freedom that adventure skydiving provides. Adventure skydiving is like any other sport in that you are consistently pushing the boundaries and refining your skills in order to achieve results. Some of the boundaries being explored by adventure skydivers are the free fall time. Free falling is the supreme rush and skydivers want to do it for as long as possible. This means that jumps are taking place higher and free fall time is significantly increased. The higher they go the more challenging the jump is but that only seems to entice jumpers more. Another area of the sport is formation diving. This is when a diver or a group of divers perform various maneuvers and are given scores for precision and execution. These maneuvers are performed during free fall so you can imagine how difficult that would be. Falling at alarming speeds whilst trying to execute a mid air maneuver. This is a popular and challenging sport that has caught the attention of the skydiving community, read more information on Las Vegas skydiving and adventure in Nevada at Andrew's website. About The Author: Andrew Caxton is the webmaster and a successful author of many articles published at http://www.skydiving-parachuting-guide.com. A free online magazine that features articles on skydiving equipment, and a guide on the best drop zones, including New York and Las Vegas ( http://www.skydiving-parachuting-guide.com/las-vegas-skydiving.html )
Real Estate Options: The Best Kept Money Making Secret
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:59 AM PDT
Real estate investing is currently a very hot topic because of the increasing property values and the number of investors who are looking for a safer alternative to the stock market. In the last 10 years, stock investors lost trillions of dollars in the stock market, so they are still understandably skittish about returning to the market. Most beginner real estate investors often start in real estate investing by a rental property using the traditional method. That is, they put down 5% to 10% and then borrow the balance from the bank. While this works, it requires more capital than most investors can initially raise, but more importantly, it creates unnecessary risks. A better and lower-risk way is to use a real estate option, which is arguably the best kept money making secret in the industry. Having talked to thousands of investors, I have found that probably less than 10% understand how to use this very powerful technique. However, savvy investors such as Donald Trump use real estate options in almost all of his deals. A real estate option can be used for multiple reasons (estate planning, speculation, etc.), but this article will focus on using a real estate option to quickly generate cash. Unlike stock options, which can be high risk, a real estate option is less volatile and offers some key advantages. * A real estate option allows you to control a property without owning it. Ideally, you want to use an option on an owner-occupied property. Most homeowners are not trained to sell a house and often end up not being able to sell it within a reasonable time frame. Essentially, you use an option to control a property while marketing it and as soon as you sell the house, you pocket the difference between the strike price (the price the seller agreed to sell the house for) and the selling price. * When done properly, you can get a real estate option on a property, market it and cash out 30 to 45 days (I have a client who has done it as little as 4 days and made $9,800). * By using options only on owner-occupied homes, you avoid many of the drawbacks of traditional real estate investing (vacancies, holding costs, mortgages, repairs and tenants). * Another huge advantage is that in any city, there is a large number of homeowners who would gladly let you option their house, especially if you can know how to sell it quickly. The key is to demonstrate that you have a pool of eager buyers who are ready to purchase, and you can build this pool of eager buyers through marketing and networking. * The amount of money you risk is low because you can often negotiate a 90 day option on a $100,000 house for $10 (yes, ten dollars). If you can't sell the house, then you are out of $10 and some sweat equity. However, with every house you option, you are continually building a more complete database of what your buyers want. * Using options doesn't require you to get a license. Starting today, you can go out and acquire an option on a property and start marketing it. * Real estate options are very flexible because you can option almost anything. While single residential homes are the most common thing to option, you can also purchase an option on land, commercial buildings, apartment buildings and even trailer parks. In summary, using real estate options is not a well known technique but savvy real estate investors have been quietly using them to make a fortune for years. Isn't it time you did the same? About The Author: Alex Nghiem is the co-founder of Wealthautopilot, which provides coaching and educational products/events for real estate investors who want to turbo charge their results immediately. To get a weekly free newsletter on cutting-edge real estate tips and a 6-part course on real estate options, visit http://www.wealthautopilot.com/course-a
'The Apprentice' to Share Wealth Building Strategies
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:58 AM PDT
'The Apprentice' Winner Kendra Todd to Share Wealth Building Strategies at National Wealth Builders Real Estate Conference and Trade Show November 2ndDANVILLE, Calif., Oct. 18., 2005 -- "An Evening with the Superstars of Real Estate," a conference and trade show put together by National Wealth Builders to educate and provide investment opportunities for real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and individuals seeking to grow their net worth through property ownership, will take place on November 2, 2005 at the Santa Clara Marriott Hotel from 2 pm to 10 pm."It will be a day packed with education and real estate investment opportunities for the beginner as well as the seasoned investor. The trade show starts at 2 pm and will feature investment opportunities in a number of hot real estate markets in America and well-performing investment areas in the world like France," said Mike Sarwari, Chief Operating Officer of National Wealth Builders. "It is a perfect opportunity to learn about wealth creation strategies from experts who have already invested successfully! Speakers will provide real estate professionals with tips and tools they need to maximize their investment potential." Kendra Todd, entrepreneur and winner of Donald Trump's popular NBC-TV series "The Apprentice," will share secrets of her success with real estate investors, entrepreneurs, and fans. Kendra has wowed audiences across the country and will speak on "Investing in Pre-Construction and Condo Conversions in Real Estate." Loral Langemeier, "The Millionaire Maker" featured on CBS-TV's "Extreme Financial Makeover," is a self-made millionaire, world-class coach and a very popular and top-rated speaker. "Loral is the best-kept secret in the financial industry. Her work, particularly with women and the creation and building of their wealth, is unmatched. Take every opportunity you can to see her in action," said Mark Victor Hansen, co-creator, #1 New York Times best-selling series Chicken Soup for the Soul(R). Educational session speakers will include Andy Heller, whose book "Buy Low, Rent Smart, Sell High" was recently ranked number two by Fortune Magazine on its list of recommended books on real estate investing. Andy will speak about "How to Find, Evaluate, and Purchase Residential Property Below Market" and how you can make a fortune as a landlord. About National Wealth Builders: National Wealth Builders (NWBU) is a real estate investment association that provides educational resources and real estate investment opportunities to investors across the United States through a network of local chapters. The chapters provide a meeting place for new and experienced investors for networking and exchange of ideas. Members of the association get the opportunity to learn about wealth-creation strategies from experts who have already invested successfully. National Wealth Builders' website caters to the needs of real estate investors by focusing on both education as well as investment opportunities. To learn more about National Wealth Builders and the November 2nd conference and trade show, visit http://www.NationalWealthBuilders.com Contact: Rhawa Haile Telephone: 925.648.1558 Fax: 925.406.0526 info@NationalWealthBuilders.com http://www.nationalwealthbuilders.com http://www.nwbu.com
The History Of Gold As Money
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:57 AM PDT
Turning Gold Into Money
Gold is one of the most dynamic elements of the modern economy and some might find it funny that the oldest form of valuing physical commodities is still thriving today. The first gold coins were produced in 700 BC and since then the precious metal has been used as the primary exchange element. The fact that gold was scarce and highly valued made it the perfect means of exchange, regardless of what the exchanged items were. The history of gold turning into money spans over a period of 2600 years and the turning point in gold's history is the year 1971. How Did Gold Become Paper? Throughout history, gold and silver coins went through a process of debauching. Such coins began to be created out of gold and other metals, thus making the values of the actual coinage fluctuate in time. The process of turning physical gold into money began when goldsmiths, who used to store gold for other society members for a fee, started to issue receipts for their storage. The receipts idea spread quickly as it was more convenient than carrying the actual metal with them, so people began to get accustomed to the idea of paper money. Goldsmiths gradually turned into bankers and the currency evolutionary process continued developing. Why Did The Gold Window Close? The 15th of August 1971 is the day when the "Gold window" was closed by the American president Richard Nixon. From that moment on, paper money could no longer be converted to gold, a fact that took the precious metal out of currency exchanges. In order to understand why the situation with gold in the economy reached this point, let's travel back in time to the moment when bankers saw the opportunity of replacing metal with paper money. Since they had the power of issuing the receipts for gold, bankers thought of producing more receipts than the amount of gold they held. But, as you would expect, this practice also became popular and bankers soon started lending these receipts to the early governments and to the monarchs of the epoch. New Acts And Regulations Concerning The Use Of Gold England was the country where bankers created the first central bank. The main purpose of such a bank was to lend money to monarchs, but it also served as protection for those bankers who issued more money than they could redeem in gold. However, it became obvious that this practice had a negative impact on the country's economy. This lead to the apparition of the "Peel's Bank Act", which stated that banks are not allowed to issue more paper money than the gold they actually had in reserves. Thus, the importance of gold as a decisive factor in the global economy remained high all throughout modern financial history. What Do You Know About Modern Gold? An interesting evolution of gold prices began in 1934, when gold was priced at $ 20. In the period until 1971, the gold price remained around $35. However, with the changes that occurred in the global economy, gold prices reached $300 and they remained above or very near this threshold. Various factors in the geopolitical world had their influences on the evolution of modern gold prices. Can Gold be Controlled? Do you ever think about gold when you are going to work or while shopping? Even though our modern society perceives gold more as a fashion item, nations still rely on the power of the precious metal in order to keep their economies balanced. We might not see gold in stores, while paying our taxes, or while taking credits from a bank, but it is an element profoundly involved in all these actions. It is fair to say that, throughout human history, we were often the ones being controlled by this precious metal, and not vice versa, as most people believe. About The Author: Dean Brown is the Author of "A Guide To Investing in Gold", an e-book decidated to helping people understand that gold is an essential part of any investment portfolio. To get more details and enroll in Dean's free mini-course on Gold Investing, go to http://www.goldinvestingbook.com
Top Ten Ways To Get Tons Of Traffic
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:57 AM PDT
Look, its obvious isn't? Without a ton of traffic to your site you aren't going to get any sales or any leads. Over at WebmasterFX.com, the number one question I receive from my clients is "How do I get more traffic to my site?" I'm about to let you know some easy ways to get visitors flocking to your site starting today. Lets look at some obvious but often overlooked tips: 1. Get a Killer Domain Name. People will never forgeta catchy domain name. Be sure to choose a short and easy to remember domain name that is appropriate to your business and has a nice ring to it. Remember the domain name is your online brand. 2. Upload Fresh and useful content. These days people are banner blind. They want more than ads. Give them information they can't find anywhere else, and give it to them for free. Give them the content they want and need. If you do don't know what it is, Ask them. 3. Get yor site seen by the Search Engines. Search engines bring more than 75% of traffic to most web sites. You can submit your site all day long but the best way to get seen is to get links on quality relevant sites. The search engines will find you within days. You can seek out both one way links from other sites and also reciprocal link exchanges with other webmasters. Just stay away from those nasty link farms! 4. Pay For Top Spots. The quickest way to get website traffic without trying too hard is to pay for it. These advertisements would be posted on prime locations or banners of websites. Banners are cheap and are great for branding, thogh don't expect a ton of click throughs. Popular websites like leading newspapers and search engines would provide immediate recognition and visibility to their customers. If you have the cash, spend it. Many don't or won't. 5. Form a Community. Start a message board, email group, or even a chat forum. Actively participate in these groups by posting answers to other people's questions. Be visible and always include your signature at the end of your postings. The best thing about these types of sites is that people come back again and again. Check your hosting account to see if you have free forum software included. I bet you do. 6. Start Your Own Mailing List. It is the best way to keep in touch with your prospects and your customers. Build a relationship with your list. Your email list can make your site a success again and again. The best customer is an existing customer. 7. Start an E-Zine for Your Website. An E-zine is an extension of your site, but this will highlight new information and features of your site. People will be reminded of your website as they read each issue. If they find they issue interesting or worth sharing, they can easily and instantly pass this on to the people within their network. Give them a freebie for signing up. 8. Submit Articles. Write your own article just like this one and submit it to e-zines, websites and magazines that accept article submissions. Be sure to include your business and contact information and website address in the resource box. 9. Exchange Ads with other Website. Create ads that will promote your business and website. Submit this to e-zines or other websites in exchange for free ad space in your own electronic publication. Your presence on other sites is very important in getting the increased traffic that you want. This is usually facilitated with either simple links or flashy banners. 10. Always Update Your Website. Your website should always be up and running and full of fresh content. It is to your advantage if you maintain your website with new articles and updated features. If your visitors always find what they want and need, they will definitely be coming back again. Additionally, search engine spiders love a site with changing content! Now go back to the top and read through this list again. You may think you know this information already, but I wonder how many of you have actually taken action on it. Also don't be discouraged if you don't see amazing result straight away. I guarantee working on these strategies a little bit each day will bring some serious traffic in the weeks and months ahead. About The Author: Copyright 2005 Andrew James. Visit http://www.webmasterfx.com to increase conversion rates and traffic.
Importance Of Technology Changes In Business Computing
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:56 AM PDT
The importance of keeping up with changes in business computing and technology can be more important over time as your business grows. As and an IT professional far too often I have seen many small businesses get way too far behind in computing technology and wonder why they should pay for the upgrades. Usually I have to explain to them the hard way that the current computers system that are over 4 years old are not going to perform the requested task very well and are not supported by software. Usually do to combination of software changes and incompatibility with older software and hardware platforms that cause issues. I explain that it actually will cost them more money in the long run to try and maintain there existing computer equipment then buy a new replacement. Most small businesses fail to recognize that keep computer equipment very long periods actually can cost them more money to maintain those systems then the price of a replacement. One cost is the amount if money you pay out for replacement parts when there is no warranty on the old device. If the computer, server or printer is made by a specific manufacture then there is a good chance that you will have to go back to them for certain parts which can be very costly. Another problem is that they actually don't make replacement parts for broke unit, this is a worse case issue I have seen although sometimes you might find a vendor that makes similar parts and hopefully it fits properly and works properly but not always. Another disadvantage is if your business is operating on older slower computer equipment that takes a long process customer request and this might open the door for your competition to take your clients away from you but offering better service. If your competition is reinvesting in there business computing and technology changes then most likely they will have the ability to complete products and request faster and at a cheaper rate. The advance technology will cost you money upfront but if the proper equipment is purchased and utilized in office it can add to your over all business. Some of benefits can include lower power requirements for the devices, more storage capacity for computer files, improved CPU along with memory speeding up processes run on the computer, faster and higher quality documents from new printers. Less down time and less delays in completion of customer request. These are just a few of the benefits of keeping up with technology in your business. I know that some of you are say that this is easier said then done and in some cases that is very true depending on your current business. But as a small business or home office you should plan for these events after all that is what large companies do and you should follow the same lead. Your business should have at least a basic IT business computing plan that has budget plan and cycling out of computer and office equipment. By having budget and plan in place it should not impact your business finance as much since you set planed ahead. The IT business computer plan should have some flexibility after all you don't want to do a complete equipment change in the middle of a big job or shutdown your business at the wrong time. And if your business in booming and you don't have them time then hiring a temp IT professional to help with computing change which might not be a bad idea. Investing in the proper technology is the key to success it does not matter if you have established small business, home office or if you're a new startup business. Remember that your business most likely will change over time along with the clients you are serving so your computing equipment should also. In conclusion business computing when done right can truly add to your business by adding to productivity and efficiency of the day to day operations and can help you take on more clients and over all help you build your business. Hopefully this article has been informative and helpful to you. If you're looking for more Business computing information and solutions then be sure to check our website listed below. About The Author: John Maier is an IT professional with years of IT experience supporting large companies and small businesses and the owner of Business Computing Guide which is a great place to find information and computer solutions for your small business or home office computing. For more information go to: http://www.business-computing-guide.com © Copyright 2005
Fast Fax - A Long History And A Modern Truth
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:55 AM PDT
Fax Facts - A Long History and A Modern Truth The facsimile, or fax as we call it today was one of the earliest concepts in modern technology. First patented in 1843 by Scottish physicist Alexander Bain, the fax is an encoding and/or imaging method that reads text and/or images in small areas at a time, assigns numerical values based on darkness and lightness and then transmits them to a receiver. The receiver produces corresponding marks on paper as the transmitting fax proceeds to scan the next lower line continuing until the entire document has been scanned, digitized and transmitted. We typically think of the fax as transmitting documents via telephone line, but history verifies that Bain patented his original invention 33 years before the telephone and Morse code became standard transmission methods. The facsimile made its official debut at the 1853 World's Fair in London with English physicist Frederick Bakewell conducting the first public demonstration of fax transmission. By 1865, Italian physics professor Giovanni Caselli had launched the first commercial fax system linking Paris with other French cities. Not to be outdone by the Europeans or by having just missed the patent for the telephone by three hours, American professor, Dr. Elisha Gray of Omnifax sold his facsimile patent to the Gray National Teleautograph Company. A demonstration of his fax system generated record-breaking crowds at the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. The fax continued to advance and was significantly furthered by the work of German scientist Dr. Alfred Korn. Though not to be outdone by the Europeans, In 1922, his facsimile system was utilized to transmit a photo of Pope Pius XI from Rome to the state of Maine in the U.S. enabling the New York World newspaper to publish the photo the same day. The military drafted the fax for use in 1941 to transmit weather charts, maps and orders during World War II. Newspapers relied on faxes to provide them with up-to-the minute details and photos from political conventions and other news-worthy events from around the world. Although the FCC authorized the development of commercial fax technology in 1948, it would be the mid 1970's before it caught on in the mainstream of daily business operations, but even then only in limited industries due to complicated technology and expensive costs. By the mid 1980's though, fax operations were simpler and less expensive and set the world of big business ablaze in a way that forever changed the way the modern world does business. Corporations and large organizations worldwide began implementing the fax as their primary method of communications. Authorizations, customer orders and verifications could be delivered within minutes instead of waiting for postal pickup and delivery, which took forever. The cost to productivity ratio proved a profitable investment for sizable enterprises. Faxing can still be a heavy expense on small businesses, especially for professionals who work from home. There's the cost of the fax machine itself and the cost of ink cartridges, toner and paper, not to mention the cost of additional phone lines and/or expensive software if small business owners opt for strictly computer-based faxing. While e-mailing documents is an option, e-mails often go astray and frequently the computer receiving an attached document does not feature the software application required for opening the document. Thousands of home based businesses rely on faxing for document editing that bypasses the need to have compatible, expensive software. With faxing being a necessity in today's business world instead of a luxury, how can small business owners and work-from-home pros offset the high cost without passing it along to their clients? There has to be an affordable fax option that keeps them competitive with other businesses. And there is ... once again the Internet-age comes to the rescue with cost-effective faxing for small business owners and work-from-home pros leveling the playing field so they can be not only more productive, but also more competitive in their markets. Online faxing gives them a decisive advantage in doing business. I'm sure you've heard about online faxing, but you've also heard about the expensive set-up fees that go along with it. Your budget is stretched to the limit now and a hefty set-up fee just isn't in the cards. Well, you can scratch that expense off your list of luxuries by visiting <a href=" http://www.faxitnice.com">http://www.faxitnice.com</a> for a simple, affordable option. They've broken the well-kept industry-secret that there is NOTHING to be set-up on an individual basis in Internet faxing, which means that there's no reason for online faxing to be expensive. In business since 2003, FaxIt Nice offers its clients two affordable service options, the OnceOff Fax and the FaxIt Credit. OnceOff Fax is designed for someone sending a one-time and/or occasional fax. FaxIt Credit offers a FREE membership with NO monthly fees. You simply purchase a pre-determined amount based upon your individual business needs in $20 increments at valuable per page savings with deep discounts for volume purchases. Give your small business the big business advantage by using the FaxIt Nice services developed by 350 Nice and ditch the last minute trips to the office supply store for expensive toners and drums. It's a cost-effective way, available 24 hours a day to any country in the world to give your business the competitive edge it takes to be successful in today's market! (c) 2005, Angelina Jordan. Reprint rights granted so long as article and by-line are printed intact and all links made live. Angelina Jordan is a freelance writer and editor specializing in serving the needs of small business owners. She offers over 15 years' solid experience in drafting quality content and providing comprehensive copyediting in the business and non-profit arenas. Contact her via e-mail message to apjordan@adelphia.net to discuss your business writing and editing needs.
Internet - A Medium or a Message? (Part IV )
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:55 AM PDT
These essays were published by the Israeli (Hebrew) edition of PC
Magazine back in 1996, when the Internet was in its formative epoch.
more »
Bankruptcy And The Small Business Owner
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 08:54 AM PDT
October 17th is fast approaching when the new bankruptcy laws take place. What effect will this have on the small business owner? Probably a more major effect than before. My husband and I both own small businesses. In the previous years, we have always had clients that paid on time. This is the first year that we have seen the economy really effect people. Small business owners have to worry about whether their customers are going to pay. How do you know if your customers are going to pay? Whether you are a new small business owner or been around for a couple of years, this is still an issue that comes up. Here are a couple of suggestions that should help with the foundation of your business: 1) Initially when you meet with a client, you state up front the payment arrangements. This could be whether you are paid COD, upon completion of a job or within a certain amount of time. 2) Once you have completed the first job or two, see how the client pays. a) Did they pay on time? b) Did you have to send them a reminder invoice stating they were overdue? c) Did you have to repeatedly call three or four times? Then when you got the check it was returned for non-sufficient funds? d) Did the client make good on the non-sufficient funds check? This could possibly happen to you. The idea is to get clients that pay on time and even ahead. If you have a client you have to remind every now and then, that is acceptable as long as they pay. However, if you have a client that pays you late and the check is not good, you want to be wary. This last type of client is not a client you want to keep or get more of. Why? In our situation, the client came to us a second time with a crucial job and really needed help. The first check they gave us they made good on. We completed a job for them and we were assured we would be paid. Then when it was time to get paid, the client's phone number had been disconnected. We did some research and later found out that this particular client was being sued by the building management where they had their office. In the end we found out that they had filed bankruptcy. Looking back at the situation, we knew the first time when we had problems getting paid that we should not continue to work with them. However, the second time we were trying to be nice and help them out of a situation. Now, we are out of the money for doing that client's job. As a small business owner, you cannot afford to have many or any clients like this last client talked about, they will send your business into bankruptcy. Take the time to know and understand your clients. If you have to ask for references from other vendors they have used, by all means do that. Another alternative for a new client is to have them pay COD until they have established a history of paying their bills. You will not have to do this with every new client. However, if you believe there is going to be a problem based on conversations you have with the client, you might want to institute such a policy. Your small business might well be your livelihood and you cannot afford not to be paid. It is important to establish your policy up front in terms of payment. Do not let this be something you think is understood without verbalizing it. If one company ends up having too many clients filing bankruptcy on them and not paying what is owed, that company could potentially end up in bankruptcy as well. About The Author: Dr. Taffy Wagner is the author of Debt Dilemma. Debt Dilemma is her own personal story of how she got into debt and was able to get out without filing bankruptcy. She will be launching a national marketing campaign on October 18, 2005. View her website at http://www.paidoff.net/SpecialPromo.html for further details.
The "Secret" to Effective First and Free Steps in Internet Marketing
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 07:56 AM PDT
The "Secret" to most Effective and Free Steps in Internet Marketing What is the best (and most effective way) to get the word out regarding your product or service to those "millions of consumers out there in cyberspace".... to bring TARGETTED traffic to your web site? And best of all, it's FREE (that "magic" word of the www) What is it (I can't wait for the suspense a moment longer)? In my opinion (humble), WRITE ARTICLES - for ezines (or online newsletters) and article announcement lists. WHY DO THAT? WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS TO ME ("WIIFM")? If it is well-written and most importantly, helpful and informative, your article could become widely published = * Extra exposure (sounds rude that!) * You'll "brand" yourself and your business. You then "make a name" for yourself online; so that you become known as an expert in your field. * You'll gain people's trust, as you establish extra credibility online, regarding your product or knowledge in your field. * It's free advertising at its very best (ie. most effective). Writers don't get paid. But on the other hand, they get free advertising, which may be just as valuable...especially as most writers live off tins of baked beans and carrots (no wonder they are "arty-farty types!). What's the difference between a writer and a large pizza? The pizza can feed a family of four! After that little joke at the expence of my occupation (get a "proper job", Craig!), back to my point... You are advertising your web site (in the form of your resource box with your web site listed at the end of the article); so that your www... could multiply all over the internet, like a "marketing virus", a "bubonic plague" (that's a metaphor, by the way!). Now a little "info" on E-BOOKS... When you have a number of useful articles written and published, you could perhaps put them all in the form of an electronic book and offer them for download on your web site. We've done this with my various articles (internet marketing, writing, self help and money) at: http://www.bridgeniche.com/clockarticles/index.html (thanks, Stefan in South Africa). At the end of each article is a resource box with a link back to your main product site... and hopefully you'll make some sales (especially if your site visitor likes the style and content of your articles)! (Incidentally, one of my main writing aims is to inform in a "light breezy style", ie. inform + entertain at the same time!). If you're really adventurous and innovative, you can even create an e-book and give it away for free. Really good for promotion of your product or service. Just place a link to your web site on each page of your e-book. I've got the first three chapters of my various books available as e-books at http://www.bridgeniche.com and my e-book Handbook to Survive Life is available FREE at: http://www.bridgeniche.com/stepstosuccess. You are giving away free information (or entertainment) of value (hopefully!). Give and you'll freely RECEIVE many benefits - in business and in life (the law of "sowing and reaping", which is the basis for most of the world's religions, I believe). No harm in all this, is there? Now after that 'little philosophical interlude', do you see the benefits of article writing? Enough questions, Craig (like the Spanish Fly, er sorry, Inquisition!). Lastly (and most importantly), writing ezine articles HELPS others out there in cyberspace. Though it takes quite a bit of time and effort (even for us writers). Though you don't have to be a writer to write good articles. I believe, virtually ANYONE can do it. So YOU TOO can write articles on your chosen subject in your internet marketing efforts. In addition, the more articles you write and submit, the more you will find web sites LINKING to yours (as many of the major search engines use the number of links as a factor in placing your web site). MORE TRAFFIC = INCREASED SALES Though the results for your efforts don't usually come overnight. My advice is...Do a little writing and research on your topic(s) every day...even if it's only an hour. ("What, me find an hour in my busy day! Come on - get real, Craig!") Just do it regularly and re-write your article (many times). Re-read it aloud, so that it flows nicely. With practice, you'll get better in your article writing and your confidence will increase in "leaps and bounds". Funny expression that, like a "runny babbit" (that's a simile, by the way)! Tourist to street vendor... "How do I get to Carnegie Hall?" "Practice, Sir, practice!" Back to my point after that little interjection (my "grasshopper mind" at work - creative minds are rarely tidy, as my dear exasperated mother, Hazel, often said to me) . Then just be very patient and the results DO come. As the saying goes... When you come to the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on. Success comes to those who ride out the "ups and downs, the highs and lows" of life - the ones who stick with their dreams, never giving up. Hope this helps and best wishes in your newsletter article writing and internet marketing strategy. Why not start writing articles for the www? This coming second half of this year could be a new beginning for your internet marketing strategy. YOU CAN DO IT... and there is no better time to start than... NOW. Craig Lock http://www.craiglock.com http://www.craiglockbooks.com "Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." - Ralph Waldo Emerson P.S: We hope that these tips help in your article writing. In my opinion it's the best internet marketing strategy there is... and best of all it's FREE. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing your articles on the www. To your internet marketing dreams in 2005 and beyond... Craig "Inspirational Books" are available at: http://www.soulful-writer.com and http://www.craiglock.com/books.html * Hard copies and e-books - fiction and non-fiction: self help, personal growth, inspiration, travel, humour, novels and money books. All proceeds go to needy and underprivileged children - MINE What's the definition of an aspiring writer? A waiter! P.S: Don't worry about the world ending today... it's already tomorrow in "little" scenic and tranquil New Zealand
Is This The Worst Golf Tip Ever?
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 07:48 AM PDT
How many times, when you were struggling out there on the golf course, have you been offered a golf tip? It seems that there are a whole bunch of golfers who just cannot help themselves from passing on their own personal favorite golf tips when they see a fellow golfer struggling. For one friend of mine this got so bad that he actually refused to play with a particular golfer who always passed on golf tips whenever they played together. The problem with the golf tip is that it only affects one small part of your swing. And the golf swing is a very complex series of movements that have to be carried out precisely, in a correct sequence and at a given speed. If the golf tip you are given upsets that sequence or throws another part of your swing out of its normal place it can have a disasterous effect on your shot. The reason why I like Mind-Movies is that they string together, in the correct sequence, all the different positions and moves of a good swing. A good golf Mind-Movie is in effect a whole series of golf tips correctly strung togther. What I am saying here is that any single golf tip can damage your swing no matter how good that tip may be. Any golf tip you are given may be a perfectly correct part of a good golf swing but if that golf tip does not fit in with the rest of your swing it can spell disaster. Smart golfers learn to visualize all the different bodily positions in their golf swing. They then groove those pictures into their mind in the form of Mind-Movies. These Mind-Movies show them exactly what they have to do in order to swing the club in a way which consistently produces long and accurate shots. Then, when they're ready to play, all they do is run their Mind-Movie and let the movie send precise what-to-do instructions to the different parts of their body. The trick with Mind-Movies is to build them correctly and then groove them into your mind so that you can see them whenever you need them. Then, if someone offers you a golf tip you can check it out against the pictures in your mind before deciding whether it will be likely to improve your swing. It took me a lot of time and a lot of trial-and-error to learn to do program my Mind-Movies correctly. But once I'd mastered the art it had a magical effect on my game. In my e-book The Golf Mind Movies Power Pack I describe in detail how to install a golf Mind-Movie which will quickly get you playing more consistent golf. If a golfer you know is suddenly hitting the ball further and straighter it is probably not because of some simple golf tip or because they have purchased the latest big, big, great big enromous driver or a new set of irons; it is far more likely that they have pieced together a whole set of golf tips into an effective golf Mind-Movie that works for them. About The Author: Soon after David Ferrers published The Golf Mind-Movies Power Pack golfers were snapping it up at such a rate that it became one of ClickBank's top selling publications. Learn how you can quickly and easily improve your game using this powerful golf improvement method at http://www.the-golf-bandit.com/golf-tip-Mind-Movies.htm
Payday Loan Qualifications - What To Expect
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:53 AM PDT
Payday loan qualifications are different from other types of
short-term loans. By establishing that you have a monthly income and meet other minimum requirements, you can receive a loan even if you have poor credit. Established Regular Income One of the prime requirements for a payday loan is that you have a source of regular monthly income. Most payday loan companies will ask for at least two months of employment history. However, you can also apply for a cash advance if you receive a monthly check from social security or a pension. Depending on lenders, you will also need to have a minimum income between $800 and $1200. Some lenders will request a copy of your bank statement or paycheck stubs to verify financial information. Faxless applications do not require copies of these forms. Open Checking Account To apply for an online cash advance you must have an open checking account. Some lenders require the account to have been established for at least four months. They also may check that there are no outstanding checks on the account. Minimum Age Requirement Payday loan lenders require borrowers to be at least 18 years of age. Sorry kids, your parent can't even co-sign for you. By having an established checking account, most lenders accept that as proof that you are of legal age. Other Personal Information Besides checking your age, cash advance lenders will request personal contact information including name, address, and phone number. Most online lenders process your application online, but others will call you to verify your information. Additional Information While most payday lenders will be satisfied with basic information, some may require additional terms. For example, some lenders will not approve loans to temp or freelance workers. They may also not approve a cash advance if you already have a payday loan with another lender. It is best to compare lenders' terms to be sure you can qualify. Qualify For Loan Amounts To receive quick cash, you will also have to abide by your state's lending laws. The maximum you can borrow is between $500 and $1000 based on your state's laws and your income. Repayment schedules are also subject to state laws. To view our list of recommended cash advance companies online, please visit this page: http://www.abcloanguide.com/paydayloans.shtml About The Author: Carrie Reeder is the owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com, an informational website about various types of loans.
A Cornish Pilgrimage - Falmouth
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:53 AM PDT
The road veers right and begins the steady climb to the heady
heights of Pendennis Point. My modest car huffs and puffs as traffic files patiently behind me. A barrier to my left clouds the seascape and the temptation to peep is too immense. I stop the car and stride eagerly to the wall and peer over. The scene is impressive, revealing a small section of old Falmouth harbour. A vast warship, presumably undergoing maintenance prior to setting out to defend the shores dominates the visible harbour view. As the road continues to twist and climb en route for the summit, hungry seagulls swoop overhead, groups ever-increasing as we approach the peak and assembled tourists. Surprisingly, parking is free, hence I immediately set off to take in the diverse panorama at the top. The journey to the summit merits every second. To the north lie the Falmouth docks and an abundance of vessels anticipating their next voyage on the open sea. Facing eastwards, the eye is drawn to the glut of yachts spread throughout Falmouth Bay, sailing freely in the steady sea breeze. In the distance sits the appealing little town of St Mawes, a mile or so across the water. "Magnificent view over there," remarks an elderly fellow standing beside me, gesticulating towards the yachting event and its zealous sailors. I smile in acknowledgement as he shuffles back to his car and his waiting wife. I frequently wonder if folks living here fully appreciate such magnificent surroundings or if the beauty becomes taken for granted. Coming from central England, the sea has always held fascination with me, vacations to the coast forever keenly anticipated. Look due south and on a clear day your eye is drawn along the magnificent, rugged coastline leading to Lizard Point, the most southerly part of Britain. As the wind howls and pounds the shoreline, a flock of seagulls unleash a cacophony of sound, daily rituals unperturbed by the resident tourist. While the road twists and turns back towards sea level, my thoughts drift to the competing yachts, racing in the bay. What a wonderfully liberating sensation it must be sailing open sea. Envy races through my mind, but my thoughts return to the road. I'm heading west along the A394 to where my dad claims to have had the finest pint of ale in Britain – Helston. About The Author: Steven Cronin writes for several online travel publications and owns the Sargas Travel online magazine featuring travel reviews, news, inspiration, advice and special offers. For further reading please visit http://www.sargas.co.uk
8 Tips For Picking The Perfect Wedding Dress
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:53 AM PDT
When little girls spend their math classes daydreaming of
weddings (instead of winning the World Series -- not to say you can't do both), what do they dream of first? The perfect wedding dress, of course: a gown in white satin with a bustle and sweeping train, the perfect embellishments, and the perfect shoes. There are few occasions in our modern world where a woman finds herself in a position to wear a no-holds-barred ball gown, much less a crystal tiara, and all too many where she's called on to wear to a neutral suit or uninspiring "biz-caz" combo. No wonder that with so many brides, their wedding plans start with the dress. Many of these brides are lucky. They may search high and low, braving chilly department stores and pushy bridal shops, but eventually they come face-to-face with The One. They know this is The One because they start crying, or their mother or friends all start crying at once. Suddenly the rest of the planning ... the theme, the tone, the right kind of venues ... it all springs to life. Other brides aren't as fortunate. They've searched just as hard, working their way through shops across three or four states, but they haven't found The One. Instead, they've found three or four Contenders, all of which are serviceable and nice, but not earth-shattering enough to tell them that now is definitely time to stop the searching and get on with the planning. These brides have it harder. Even if you're the first kind of bride, buying the dress is such a momentous decision that you run a risk of falling into that wallet-skinning category known as the Two-Dress Bride. Here are some tips for picking the perfect dress and avoiding that awful fate. 1. Bring the entourage, but don't buy. It's fun and useful to bring your mother, friends or sisters on the dress-shopping expedition. It gives you a buffer against an overbearing sales staff, and it's fun to see if your impressions of perfection are shared by your loved ones, not to mention how they'll love being part of such an important decision. But no matter how enthusiastic everyone gets over a certain dress, don't buy in the heat of the moment. Give yourself time to reconsider and buy with a cool head later, alone. The vast majority of dresses are non-returnable, so when you've bought it, you've bought it. 2. Don't buy too early unless you must. Bridal gowns can take four to ten months to come from the manufacturer, but there's no reason to buy over a year ahead of time, unless your chosen style is going to be discontinued. Give yourself some time to sit on your decision. Once you pick a gown, you'll see a hundred others nearly like it. You'll become a walking encyclopedia on that style of gown. All the better if you still have room to choose. 3. If you've bought "The One," stop shopping. Any more window-shopping at this point will only lead you down the road toward the dreary land of Two-Dress Brides. What you need to do instead is remember that blissful feeling of having tried on The One. Go get The One out of the closet, put it on and stand in front of the mirror. You'll remember exactly why it's The One. 4. If you've bought "The One" and can't stop shopping, get a second opinion. Show your first and second choices to other brides. Be honest -- tell them you've already remortgaged your condo for the first dress, but you think this second dress might be It. They'll be truthful, too -- the first one was better. You'll feel reassured. 5. Don't tell yourself "I'll sell the old dress and choose a new one." This old saw of the Two-Dress Bride just won't work. You'll never get more than a fraction of what you paid for your first dress if you bought it new. 6. Don't be afraid to aim high -- no matter what your budget. Some brides knew from the start they wanted a designer label, but life just didn't cooperate by making them heiresses. Yet all is not lost if you're willing to shop courageously. At any given moment, a better-heeled bride is selling her once-used St. Pucchi or Ulla-Maija on eBay. She paid thousands upon thousands, but you, smart shopper, will pay half that or less. To take this road, you must shop earlier than other brides so you'll have a choice of gowns. Always pay with a credit card so you'll have recourse if the dress doesn't arrive in acceptable condition, and again, shop early so you can buy another if necessary. Shop courageously, but not recklessly. 7. Shop online, but never send a check. Bridal gown businesses sometimes have a way of disappearing overnight. No matter what the proprietor tells you, never make a purchase as large as a wedding gown without the chargeback protection of a credit card. If they say they can't take plastic, move on. 8. Don't hold out forever for The One. Some brides never find The One. What they do find is a few dresses they look beautiful in. If you're this bride, try starting your planning from the theme instead of the dress. You'll probably eventually get sick to death of dress shopping. When that happens, "good enough" really will be good enough. Concentrate on other aspects of the wedding that mean a lot to you, like the venue, the food, or the inevitable adoration of your soon-to-be husband. About The Author: Blake Kritzberg is proprietor of "FavorIdeas.com". Stop by for a huge selection of wedding favors, theme ideas, Bridezilla's weekly adventures, and free resources for brides. http://www.favorideas.com/
Payday Loan Qualifications - What To Expect
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:52 AM PDT
Payday loan qualifications are different from other types of short-term loans. By establishing that you have a monthly income and meet other minimum requirements, you can receive a loan even if you have poor credit. Established Regular Income One of the prime requirements for a payday loan is that you have a source of regular monthly income. Most payday loan companies will ask for at least two months of employment history. However, you can also apply for a cash advance if you receive a monthly check from social security or a pension. Depending on lenders, you will also need to have a minimum income between $800 and $1200. Some lenders will request a copy of your bank statement or paycheck stubs to verify financial information. Faxless applications do not require copies of these forms. Open Checking Account To apply for an online cash advance you must have an open checking account. Some lenders require the account to have been established for at least four months. They also may check that there are no outstanding checks on the account. Minimum Age Requirement Payday loan lenders require borrowers to be at least 18 years of age. Sorry kids, your parent can't even co-sign for you. By having an established checking account, most lenders accept that as proof that you are of legal age. Other Personal Information Besides checking your age, cash advance lenders will request personal contact information including name, address, and phone number. Most online lenders process your application online, but others will call you to verify your information. Additional Information While most payday lenders will be satisfied with basic information, some may require additional terms. For example, some lenders will not approve loans to temp or freelance workers. They may also not approve a cash advance if you already have a payday loan with another lender. It is best to compare lenders' terms to be sure you can qualify. Qualify For Loan Amounts To receive quick cash, you will also have to abide by your state's lending laws. The maximum you can borrow is between $500 and $1000 based on your state's laws and your income. Repayment schedules are also subject to state laws. To view our list of recommended cash advance companies online, please visit this page: http://www.abcloanguide.com/paydayloans.shtml About The Author: Carrie Reeder is the owner of http://www.abcloanguide.com, an informational website about various types of loans.
Tractor Trailer Accidents
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:52 AM PDT
Each year, there are approximately 500,000 accidents in the United States involving large trucks/tractor- trailers, with 5,000 fatalities. In fact, 1 out of 8 traffic fatalities in America is due to a collision with a truck. Virtually all of these deaths and injuries are restricted to the passengers of the cars struck by tractor-trailers, while the truck drivers usually escaped unscathed. The fatal crash rate for trucks is 2.6 deaths per one hundred million miles traveled, a statistic more than 50 percent greater than the rate for other vehicles. As well, tractor trailers and trucks are more likey to be involved in multiple vehicle accidents, and eighty percent of all truck accidents include more than 1 vehicle. The Federal government requires truck operators to have a commercial drivers license and undergo limited drug and alcohol testing. However, due to the continuing number of accidents, the effectiveness of these safety measures is questionable. Many accidents are caused by truck driver fatigue. In a recent survey, 20 percent of truck drivers admitted falling asleep while driving within a month of the questionnaire. For financial reasons truck drivers often stay on the road beyond the limits of human endurance. In 2003, US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) tightened regulations governing downtime for truck drivers in an effort to lower the accident rate. The compliance date was set to January 4, 2004. A complicated set of guidelines now governs how long drivers can stay on duty. The revised Hours of Service regulations permit truck drivers to drive eleven hours after ten consecutive hours off-duty. Truck drivers are not allowed to drive beyond the 14th hour after coming on-duty, following ten hours off-duty. Truck drivers may not to drive after being on-duty for sixty hours in a seven-consecutive-day period of time or even seventy hours in an eight-consecutive-day time period. This on-duty cycle can be restarted if a driver takes at least thirty-four consecutive hours off-duty. Short-haul truck drivers (those who routinely return to their place of dispatch after every shift and then are released from duty) may have an increased on-duty period of time of sixteen hours after a week of standard shifts. The 16-hour exception takes into consideration valid business needs without jeopardizing safety. FMCSA estimates that without the flexibility of additional 2 on-duty hours, the industry would have to hire at least 48,000 inexperienced new drivers, actually increasing the accident rate. The FMCSA estimates the new rule has the potential to prevent 75 fatalities and approximately 1,326 crashes annually. However, studies reveal that many truck drivers violated the old regulations on hours of service, and without vigorous enforcement compliance with the new regulations will likely be poor as well. About The Author: Frank Hague has always been interested in Tractor-Trailers http://tractor-trailer-2006.info http://gmc-now.info http://www.gps-now.info
Getting The Most Nutritional Value From Fruits And Vegetables
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:51 AM PDT
You're eating lots of fruits and vegetables every day, but are you sure you're getting the most nutritional value from them, and what can you do to improve how many nutrients you are getting. To understand we need to take a deeper look at the trip that fruits and vegetables make to get to your table. Many different factors can affect the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables before they reach your table. The two most important are time and traveling conditions. The shorter the time frame that the fruit is packed until it reaches your table the better. If you are lucky enough to have a home garden try to pick your vegetables early in the morning for peak flavor and nutritional value. The next best choice is to use a local market stand. Generally the foods they are selling were picked within a few hours of being set out for sale. If there are no local markets in your area like most people you'll be forced to shop at a supermarket. Before any produce reaches your local supermarket it must first be picked, and packaged. If the food is coming to you from the same state or neighboring state chances are it was picked within 48 hours of reaching the stores shelves. If you're produce is making it way from California to New York chances are it was picked 7 to 10 days ago. Why do you need to be concerned about when something was harvested? When any produce is picked off of the vine it is at its nutritional peak value. It starts to lose that value as time passes, the more time that passes, and the more value it loses. The second biggest contributor is handling. If care is taken no to bruise or damage the exterior skin produce will last longer. Additionally storing a produce at the proper temperature will also help slow down the loss of nutrients. Here's where it gets a little tricky, some fruits like temperatures as high as 60 degrees, and other prefer temperatures in the mid 30's. So the longer your food is in transit, and the more care that it shown to handling it properly the more packed with nutrients it is likely to be when it hits the shelves of your local supermarket. © Diet-Newsroom.com , All Rights Reserved. About The Author: This article was written by Kim Black of http://www.diet-newsroom.com a website specializing in diet, nutrition, health, fitness and exercise articles and information.
Broadband Internet Saves Money
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:50 AM PDT
Most people look at the bottom line cost of broadband Internet when deciding the cost versus the benefits of Internet service. It's time to take a closer look. A good place to start is VoIP, also known as broadband phone service. The reasoning behind this being, the lower phone rates offset the increased of cost Internet service, essentially paying for the rise in cost in Internet access. The cost effective possibilities are endless. Downloading movies instead of going to the video store also puts your broadband connection to work, (the legal way of course). You'll save gas, time, and it is usually just cheaper. It has been rumored, Microsoft, in partnership with Time Warner Cable, is working on an Internet TV service called IP TV, and is due to launch in 2006. With computers having the capability of using an LCD TV screen as a monitor, or stream media to the TV, one can imagine the financial benefits of this technology, but only if you have broadband. The examples listed are likely the most common ways to save a buck or two with broadband. Internet telephone and Internet TV are just a couple examples of new technology for broadband to come. by now it should be fairly clear to most people that faster surfing and downloads are only the very basic of benefits to broadband users. Most dial up users won't switch to high speed Internet because they believe it's too expensive. Sure the basic subscription is more, but there are literally hundreds of ways to offset the higher cost of broadband Internet service. In most cases, the benefits of high speed Internet far outweigh the cost. In closing, let me just say the next time you are looking for somewhere to go or something to do with your broadband connection, try looking for ways to put it to work for you, and save some money. About The Author: Editor at Cheapest Service http://www.cheapest-service.com
The Era Of Disaster Recovery And Prevention... And What It Means To Investors
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:50 AM PDT
The recovery from Katrina and Rita ushers in a new era of Disaster Recovery and Prevention. Governments and people are rethinking their response to disasters and the steps they can take to prevent or minimize the worst consequences. The biggest catalyst for this new era is the political fall-out from Katrina. The slow response to Katrina was a black eye for the Bush administration. For Michael Brown, the ex-head of FEMA, it was a national humiliation. The fates of Louisiana governor Kathleen Blanco and New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin remain to be seen, but reports have pointed out their failures in prevention and response, and that will come into play at election time. President Bush wants to make up for the bungled response (and restore some political capital)and has earmarked a recovery effort that may total $200 billion dollars. The early response to Katrina has become a cautionary tale for politicians and bureaucrats in federal, state and local governments, and you can be sure they will be pushing for more disaster prevention spending in their own particular fiefdoms. And the media is keeping watch—newspapers in California have been filled with stories warning about the lack of disaster (especially earthquake) preparation in the state. The Army Corp of Engineers, burned by the lack of follow-through on their recommendation to raise the New Orleans levees, is now looking to repair vulnerable areas around the country. And they're not the only ones. New homes have multiplied along vulnerable coastal areas. From Florida to the Outer Banks up to The Hamptons and all throughout the east coast, coastal property values have soared. Dune Road, a sliver of land with pricey homes between the ocean and a bay in Westhampton, New York, was virtually wiped out by flooding little more than a decade ago. Now it has been rebuilt with even pricier multi-million dollar homes. You can be sure these homeowners will spend what it takes to protect their properties. And they may need to because it looks like big storms are brewing. If many meterologists are correct, we may have entered a cycle of increasing frequency and severity of hurricanes. Combine the measures slated for homeland security, rebuilding the Gulf coast and the ramp-up of disaster prevention around the country and you have a near permanent state of disaster recovery and prevention. For some companies, let's call them Hurricane stocks, the opportunity to take part in the Gulf recovery means a great deal of more business in the short term. For others, it may mean more business for many years to come. Hurricane stocks are companies that are needed right now. For instance, the immediate need to help those whose homes have been destroyed or are unhabitable. Think of companies that provide temporary living and survival gear. Think of Coleman camping products, such as tents, sleeping bags, portable stoves, flashlights. Coleman is owned by Jarden (JAH:NYSE). Manufactured homes have come a long way in the past decade, and will prove to be a good temporary solution for many and a permanent solution for others in the Gulf. Cavalier Homes (AMEX:CAV) has been contracted to build and deliver manufactured homes to the Federal Emergency Management Agency to house Gulf Coast residents displaced by Hurricane Katrina. The contract is expected to generate $58 million to $63 million in revenue for the company. Some other compnnies in this sector include Champion (NYSE:CHB), which partners with nearly 3,000 independent retailers, builders and developers, Fleetwood Enterprises (NYSE: FLE) and Coachmen Industries Inc. (NYSE:COA). Oil and gas facilites in the Gulf coast also need emergency repair. The economy of the Gulf Coast and, to an extent, the economy of the U.S. depends on it. A number of drilling rigs were damaged in the storms, which means that a company like ENSCO (NTSE:ESV) which owns drilling rigs in the area, will be in big demand. Oceaneering International (NYSE: OII), which inspects and repairs underwater infrastructure of oil facilities, will be busy, as will Jacobs Engineering (NYSE:JEC), providing engineering and construction services to oil and gas companies. Rebuilding the Gulf Coast Rebuilding will include the big dogs in construction, like Halliburton (NYSE:HAL), The Shaw Group(SGR) and Caterpillar (NYSE:CAT). But many smaller companies will also take part, often as subcontractors. The Army Corp of Engineers has increased its task order from $10 million to $20 for Aduddell Roofing, a subsidiary of Zenex International, Inc. (OTCBB:ZENX). National Storm Management (NLST:PK), an expanding national construction company specializing in storm restoration management, will also do a good deal of restoration work in the Gulf Coast. To build you need building materials. Home retailers such as Home Depot and Lowe's will be seeing their orders increase, but so will companies that provide raw materials like timber. Take a look at Rayonier (NYSE:RYN)and Plum Creek Timber (NYSE:PCL), two REITs that own and manage timber properties. Some Hurricane and rebuilding stocks have already jumped and retreated. But the point to remember is that while the hurricanes resulted in an immediate need to help those in dire need, they also ushered in a new era, an era when governments and people in the U.S. and around the world know they can do more to recover from disasters and minimize the consequences. So keep an eye on companies that will be at the center of the Disaster and Prevention theme for years to come. About The Author: Leon Altman founded http://www.InvestingIN.com and http://www.SmallcapRecap.com, two websites that offer news and commentary on stocks. Sign up for free newsletters on the sites.
Getting The Most Nutritional Value From Fruits And Vegetables
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:49 AM PDT
You're eating lots of fruits and vegetables every day, but are you sure you're getting the most nutritional value from them, and what can you do to improve how many nutrients you are getting. To understand we need to take a deeper look at the trip that fruits and vegetables make to get to your table. Many different factors can affect the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables before they reach your table. The two most important are time and traveling conditions. The shorter the time frame that the fruit is packed until it reaches your table the better. If you are lucky enough to have a home garden try to pick your vegetables early in the morning for peak flavor and nutritional value. The next best choice is to use a local market stand. Generally the foods they are selling were picked within a few hours of being set out for sale. If there are no local markets in your area like most people you'll be forced to shop at a supermarket. Before any produce reaches your local supermarket it must first be picked, and packaged. If the food is coming to you from the same state or neighboring state chances are it was picked within 48 hours of reaching the stores shelves. If you're produce is making it way from California to New York chances are it was picked 7 to 10 days ago. Why do you need to be concerned about when something was harvested? When any produce is picked off of the vine it is at its nutritional peak value. It starts to lose that value as time passes, the more time that passes, and the more value it loses. The second biggest contributor is handling. If care is taken no to bruise or damage the exterior skin produce will last longer. Additionally storing a produce at the proper temperature will also help slow down the loss of nutrients. Here's where it gets a little tricky, some fruits like temperatures as high as 60 degrees, and other prefer temperatures in the mid 30's. So the longer your food is in transit, and the more care that it shown to handling it properly the more packed with nutrients it is likely to be when it hits the shelves of your local supermarket. © Diet-Newsroom.com , All Rights Reserved. About The Author: This article was written by Kim Black of http://www.diet-newsroom.com a website specializing in diet, nutrition, health, fitness and exercise articles and information.
A Fun Halloween Craft For Kids
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:49 AM PDT
This is one of my favorite Halloween crafts for kids. It is quick and simple, can be done with a crowd if necessary, and is an excellent way to practice cutting and fine motor skills with younger children. Older kids can let their imaginations take over and create some really wacky spiders! You will need: Black paper Scissors Glue or sticky-tape Googly eyes (optional) or scraps of paper and pens Instructions: Cut a rectangle of paper approximately 3 inches by 3 1/2 inches. Fold the short side down about an inch to make a crease, then open up again. Turn the paper so that the crease is horizontal, then cut the paper in 7 straight lines up to the crease to create eight spider's legs. For younger children, draw in the lines for them to practice cutting on. For older children, show them how to make the first cut in the middle, dividing the area below the crease into 2 halves. Then show them how to divide each half again to make quarters, then the quarters to make eighths. There is no need to be too accurate. Now wrap the spider around the child's finger and fasten with sticky-tape or glue. Remove the spider again and decorate - either with scraps of paper or with googly eyes. Put back on the finger and bend the legs into shape or curl them around a pencil. Variations: Hang the spiders up! Simply cut a length of black yarn (wool) and attach inside the head of the spider with a small piece of sticky-tape. Make smaller versions of these spiders to decorate the ends of Halloween pencils. Wrap small spiders around straws to decorate your Halloween table! Make some bigger spiders and scatter them around the table as well. Cut a small slit on either side of the spider's head and insert a name card to turn these spiders into spooky place markers! Once the body of the spider has been made but before decorating, wrap a black pipe cleaner around the head of the spider to give a furry effect. The protruding end of the pipe cleaner can be curled into a hook shape, which makes the spider easy to suspend from shelves, the tops of doors, and other spooky places! Stick googly eyes on top of the pipe cleaner. About The Author: Lindsay Small is the owner of Activity Village, packed full of fun and educational activities for kids. Do you have children aged 2-10? Visit http://ww.ActivityVillage.co.uk to find free kids crafts, printables, educational resources, worksheets, coloring pages and puzzles, jigsaws, Sudoku for kids and much more!
Getting Help For Your Fears And Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:49 AM PDT
It is not easy to deal with your fears, post-traumatic stress, or anxiety problems. The first step is that you should talk to a professional who can get you started in the right path of getting better. Getting help from a counselor or other professional is very important and can provide you much help and insights in dealing with your current problem. In addition, here are some techniques a person can use to help manage their fears and anxieties. Learn to take it one day at a time. Instead of worrying about how you will get through the rest of the week or coming month, try to focus on today. Each day can provide us with different opportunities to learn new things and that includes learning how to deal with your problems. Focus on the present and stop trying to predict what may happen next week. Next week will take care of itself. A good way to manage your fear is to challenge your negative thinking with positive statements and realistic thinking. When encountering thoughts that make your fearful or anxious, challenge those thoughts by asking yourself questions that will maintain objectivity and common sense. Sometimes, we may be nervous doing a certain task that may be scary. When this happens, visualize yourself doing the task in your mind. For instance, you and your team have to play in the championship hockey game in front of a large group of people in the next few days. Before the big day comes, imagine yourself playing the game in your mind. Imagine that your playing in front of a large audience. By playing the game in your mind, you will be better prepared to perform for real when the time comes. Self Visualization is a great way to reduce the fear and stress of a coming situation. Remember that there is one power that is stronger than your fears and that is the power of God. A person does not have to be religious to use the power of God. When the going gets tough, talk to God about your problems as if you were talking to a friend. Review the Bible and pray hard. Be persistent and be open in the avenues that God may provide to you in solving your problem. It is not always easy, however God is in control and he will help you if you ask him. As a Layman, I realize it is not easy to deal with all of our fears, however there are all kinds of help available. The key is to be patient and not to give up. In time, you will be able to find those resources that will help you with your problems. About The Author: Stan Popovich is the author of "A Layman's Guide to Managing Fear Using Psychology, Christianity and Non Resistant Methods"-a book that presents a overview of techniques in managing Fear. For more info go to: http://www.managingfear.com For free articles on managing fear please go to: http://www.managingfear.com
How To Cure Your Slice By Developing A Better Golf Swing
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:48 AM PDT
The slice is probably one of the most common swing flaws for amateurs. It is an outside-to-inside swing path that creates side spin on the golf ball. The side spin causes the ball to cut hard to the side, making it a very frustrating day on the course. It also seems to be one of the most difficult swing flaws to fix. There have been hundreds of so-called golf training aids that guarantee to cure your slice. And I am sure we have all bought or thought about buying one of these gadgets after a frustrating day on the course. Some of these golf-training aids do help you to cure your slice; others do not. In addition to golf training aids, there have been countless articles written about the golf slice. These articles discuss the slice in-depth and oftentimes provide "fixes" for the golf slice. If you've been a golfer for any amount of time, I am sure you've come across at least one or two of these articles. Maybe you have even tried to implement some of the suggested fixes into your golf swing. Some of these golf swing fixes may have helped, others maybe not. At BioForce Golf we are committed to improving your golf game. And we believe it is fundamentally a process of improving both the body and swing. As a result, we are committed to providing you cutting-edge, researched, and PGA-Tour-proven information in the areas of golf instruction, golf fitness, and golf swing improvement. Providing information on curing swing flaws like the slice is no different. Recently, some research from the University of North Carolina provided some interesting information on curing the slice. A Professor from UNC and the head teaching pro from Pinehurst (venue of the 2005 US Open) performed a series of research studies on the golf swing slice. These researchers took a group of golfers prone to slicing the golf ball through a battery of tests. These tests were to determine the best swing drills to the cure the dreaded slice. Golf swing drills, in general, break down the golf swing into manageable parts to allow an individual to work on a specific part of the swing. It is very difficult, as we all know, to work on "fixing" your swing when performing a full swing. It becomes too much for the brain and body to process. It is usually best to break down the swing into parts and implement drills that work on specific parts of the swing. This allows you to simplify the process, fix the area of the swing that needs work, and eventually bring it back into the full golf swing. Back to the research project on the slice and the swing drills. After the process of taking these amateur golfers through this battery of swing drills, the researchers found that two swing drills were of the greatest benefit. These two drills apparently showed the greatest effect on assisting the amateur golfer prone to slicing to fix such a problem. The first drill that showed benefit was the "toe-in drill." This drill apparently placed the golfer in the correct positions during the swing to assist in curing the slice. The second drill was the "split hand." This drill helped the amateur "feel" the correct release of the club and the swing path of the club. Again, both of these drills during this research project indicated the greatest amount of help to the amateur in the attempt to cure the slice. What points of validity can we draw from this research project? Obviously, the "split hand" and "toe-in drill" are beneficial in assisting an amateur golfer with the slice. Secondly, it probably indicated that there are many swing drills and possibly training aides that are not beneficial to amateur golfer. This points to the idea that the amateur golfer must understand the swing in order to decipher what are the best drills for their swing. Finally, it indicates that proper swing mechanics are necessary for fundamental success on the golf course. Obviously, a poor golf swing will result in poor play on the golf course. Implement this and other information provided by BioForce Golf to help you develop a better golf swing. Sean About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
The Importance Of The Dog's Anal Gland?
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:47 AM PDT
In the movie The Fisher King there is a rather humorous scene
in which Robin Williams' character is scooting himself along the ground by digging his heels in and dragging his bare bottom across the grass. In a jubilant voice he calls out, "Do you know why dogs do this? It feels GREAT!!" Actually, that's not the only reason. Dogs will exhibit this behavior if the anus or hind quarters are itchy, but it can be a sign of an impacted anal gland which can be a problem for some dogs. The anal glands are located on either side of a dog's anus and, in the wild, serve as a method of marking the dog's territory. When a dog defecates the glands are naturally compressed and secrete a dark, foul smelling liquid along with the bowel movement. When the sacs are functioning normally they empty whenever the animal has a bowel movement. Sometimes, for various reasons, the dog's anal sacs may become blocked. When this happens a number of problems can develop. Some are benign as a foul smell but the can lead to serious problems like diarrhea and infection. To intervene before a blocked anal gland becomes an issue, the glands must be expressed. Expression of the anal glands is a simple medical procedure that can be performed at home or by a veterinarian. Some people prefer to let the vet take care of this task because they find it to be an unattractive duty. To save the expense of a vet, however, it is perfectly acceptable to express the anal glands yourself. Expressing the Dog's Anal Glands: Expressing the anal glands is a simple matter. You'll want to hold the tail up and pull it gently toward the dog's head. In the other hand hold a tissue or paper towel and place your thumb on the left side of the left gland and your forefinger on the right side of the right gland. Squeeze firmly but not roughly and the glands should empty a brown or yellowish liquid onto the tissue or towel. Impacted glands will not empty as easily and may require an internal draining technique. You can do the internal technique at home as well, but you'll need surgical gloves and a tube of KY jelly. Internal anal gland expression requires that the sacs on either side of the anus be expressed individually and will require that you place your thumb on one side of the gland and your forefinger inside the dog's rectum in order to squeeze and express the gland. Impacted glands will be harder to drain and the fluid may be thick and pasty with a foul odor and a dark brown, grey, or black color. Infected anal glands may produce a discharge of bloody pus and can be an indication of a more serious problem. The infection should be fought with antibiotics so a vet should be contacted immediately if the dog seems to have such an infection. About The Author: Kirsten Hawkins is a dog lover and animal expert from Nashville, TN. Visit http://www.doghealth411.com/ for more information on dog health, the care of dogs, and dog travel.
Wood-Burning Stoves: Timeless Classics
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:47 AM PDT
Traditionally, wood-burning freestanding stoves were used in ski cabins and lodges, but today thanks to new design concepts they have become a welcome addition to any home. Wood-burning stoves can be installed in any room of your house, but most often they are placed in living or dining rooms, as well as in patios. While traditional fireplaces generally work as a piece of décor, free-standing wood-burning stoves are generally used for more practical purposes, namely, for heating and even cooking. Thanks to new designs, your wood-burning stove will look attractive and still remain perfectly functional. Because it isn't attached to the wall, a wood-burning stove will radiate more heat throughout a small or large room. Most often, wood-burning stoves are usually built of stainless steel, soapstone or ceramics study stone and brick but can remain sleek and contemporary thanks to new materials such as fireproof glass and stainless steel details. The shape of these stoves is most commonly tall and cylindrical, with built-in wood storage under the burning chamber. When choosing a new wood-burning stove, keep in mind that the size of your wood-burning stove is determined by the size of the space that needs to be heated. The fire of the stove should be substantial enough to please the eye as well as heat the room, but too much fire can literally turn your place into an oven. When picking a place to put your new stove, avoid traffic areas such as doors. A stove surrounded by windows may be a good solution. The fire chamber door should face the room. Don't forget to take stovepipe requirements into the account, making sure they are in compliance with your local building codes. Since wood-burning stoves are not strictly fireplaces, they don't require any clearance between the fire chamber and surrounding combustible materials, such as wood or fabric. Conventional wood-burning stoves vary in heat efficiency because their construction can be very different, too. The efficiency of a wood-burning stove depends on how much of its combustion energy turns to heat, which in its turn depends on how well it burns wood. Even the best wood-burning stoves don't burn all wood completely. The smoke is actually composed of unburned wood particles. Another factor that impacts the wood-burning stove's efficiency is how much heat escapes through the chimney. To improve the efficiency of your wood-burning stove, consider a chimney sweep in the first place. This should be done by a professional fireplace expert. If you noticed that a lot of smoke is produced during the wood burning, you may need to alter the size of your stove opening, or reconfigure the existing fire chamber. If you notice that a lot of hot air escapes through the chimney, you may consider replacing the fire basket – the metal rack that supports the burning logs. New designs of fire baskets can greatly improve air circulation and heat efficiency. Wood burning stoves today offer a great variety of looks and designs to suit any home style, from a retro Victorian house to a steel loft condo. Painted black, brushed steel or even red, with stovepipe to match, wood burning stoves with generous glass doors allow you admire the dancing flames during the cold winter season. About The Author: Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Wood Burning Stoves please visit http://www.stove-ideas.com/wood-burning-stoves.html and for additional Stove articles please visit the following article page http://www.stove-ideas.com/stove-articles/.
Affiliate Profit: Are You Losing Money?
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:47 AM PDT
Dear Webmaster, I have bad news for you: You are probably losing money and you didn't pay attention to it! Let me explain... When you joined affiliate programs you probably considered the following factors: - The commission - The conversion rate The profit formula looks like a child play: Commission x Conversion Rate = Your Profit In fact there are three big pitfalls here and if you don't manage them properly, your profit is at risk. Let consider them: - Price: A high price means a higher affiliate commission for every sale but it may result also in a lower conversion rate… If the product is too expensive, nobody will buy. You shouldn't be blinded by the promise of a very high commission. You should keep in mind that the best price is not the one that gives you the highest commission but the one that makes the highest profit. An optimized pricing that makes satisfied customers and satisfied affiliates is what you should look for. - Refund Rate: Refunds can kill your marketing efforts! What are worth the sales you see in your account if customers request their money back? A lot of sales mean nothing unless you keep the money! This is the whole responsibility of the merchant to keep refunds as low as possible. A site that sells well is good. A site that also keeps refunds very low is much better! There is only one way to keep refunds very low: To deliver very high quality services meeting customers' expectations or going beyond what they could expect! - Product quality: Quality is king! Quality makes superior conversion rates! Quality enables higher prices and better commissions! Quality keeps refunds as low as possible! In a word: Quality should be your compass. Don't associate your business with low quality products or services. On the top of your list, promote only the very best. It will also keep your profit on top. How much money are you losing today? The money you earn and lose is significantly determined by the quality of the affiliate program you have selected as your top pick. The question is: How do you measure what is more qualitative and what is less? There is an objective criterion to use for answering this question and for optimizing your profit: The refund rate of your top affiliate program! A high refund rate express clearly that lots of customers are not satisfied with what they get and that affiliates lose money on their sales. On the contrary, a low refund rates indicates a high level of satisfaction among customers and safe earning for affiliates. If you get many refunds with your top affiliate program, you should understand that the quality of this program isn't sufficient for keeping these customers satisfied and it doesn't do the necessary job for securing your profit… You are losing money! What are good, medium and poor refund rates? Refunds can't be totally avoided. There will always be customers that are not satisfied even for the most qualitative product or service. So, expecting a zero refund rate on the long run is not realistic. You should wish a refund rate as low as possible in your industry. It's important to consider that there can be significant variations from one industry to another but as a rule of thumb you can use the following scale: 2% or less: Excellent 3% - 5%: Good 6% - 10%: Medium 11% - 15%: Poor 16% - 20%: Very Poor 21% or higher: Run away! With a 5% or less refund rate you can be happy. Your affiliate program is reliable and your profit is secured. With a 6%-10% refund rate, you should monitor closely your merchant performance to ensure it doesn't get worst. It would be advised to scan the market for a better alternative if you can find one. With an 11%-20% (or higher) refund rate you should be very concerned with your profit. Whatever your industry is, you are bleeding and there is probably a better affiliate program to promote. What is the refund rate of your top affiliate program? There are two ways to find the refund rate of an affiliate program: 1) Look at the stats supplied by your affiliate program Do your math as following: Refunds / Sales = Refund Rate Let say you make 1000 sales per month, you get a $23.50 commission per sale and about 160 customers request their money back every month. Your refund rate is 160 / 1000 = 16%. In that case it means that you should have earned $23,500 for your sales but you will get only $19,740 because of the refunds. You lost here 16% of your profit or $3,760! You can ask yourself: Is it only I or all affiliates for this program get similar numbers? If you use Clickbank to promote affiliate programs, you can get the big picture about the whole community of affiliates that promote an affiliate program. 2) Using Clickbank payout stats to calculate the average refund rate of a program. In its marketplace, Clickbank publishes payout stats for affiliate programs. The $Earned/Sale factor gives us exactly what we need to calculate the average refund rate of a program. The $Earned/Sale is the average net amount earned per affiliate per referred sale. This number is mainly impacted by refunds and it reveals the real commission earned by affiliates. With this number, you can have an inner look at the real performance of affiliates programs. The average refund rate of an affiliate program is: (Commission - $Earned)/Commission = Average Refund Rate What is the refund rate of popular affiliate programs at Clickbank? As an example, we have looked at three affiliate programs selling paid surveys databases. We have found their refund rates very high! You will be surprised at discovering how much money affiliates can lose when promoting these programs: - SurveyScout: 16.2% refund rate! - Survey Platinum: 20.9% refund rate! - My Consumer Survey: 35.2% refund rate! To get into the details, on November 29th 2005 figures were as following: SurveyScout Affiliate Commission: $23.50 Average $Earned/Sale: $19.69 Refund Rate: (23.50 - 19.69) / 23.50 = 16.2% Example: For 100 referred sales you should earn $2,350. In fact you will get only $1,969 because 16 customers out of 100 have requested their money back! Survey Platinum Affiliate Commission: $23.50 Average $Earned/Sale: $18.58 Refund Rate: (23.50 - 18.58) / 23.50 = 20.9% Example: For 100 referred sales you should earn $2,350. In fact you will get only $1,858 because 21 customers out of 100 have requested their money back! My Consumer Survey Affiliate Commission: $40.84 Average $Earned/Sale: $26.43 Refund Rate: (40.84 - 26.43) / 40.84 = 35.2% Example: For 100 referred sales you should earn $4,084. In fact you will get only $2,643 because 35 customers out of 100 have requested their money back! Remark: My Consumer Survey has a poorly designed site and a higher price for buyers. We estimate its conversion rate to be significantly lower than other paid surveys programs. Despite its high commission, affiliates will lose the most money with this program. We learn three lessons about these paid surveys affiliate programs: - A lot of customers are dissatisfied. - Affiliates lose big money. - The quality of these programs is very questionable. What should you do to stop the bleeding? You have no influence on the quality of the affiliate programs you promote. Your only real influence is on the quality of your recommendation! Giving your top recommendation to a very professional affiliate program that delivers the utmost quality services to customers will keep your profit as high and as safe as possible. In the field of paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs, the most professional program available today is Maximum Paid Surveys. Maximum Paid Surveys is a premium database of paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs. It delivers a superior value to both registered users and affiliate partners due to its very high quality. How to identify quality in affiliate programs? Defining quality is a difficult job. In general, people can't define clearly what quality is but they recognize it when they see it. So what should you look at in affiliate programs? The most qualitative affiliate programs find the right balance between the value they offer to customers and the value they generate to affiliates: 1. Value to customers – It includes: - Rich content - Good looking website - State-of-the-art organization - Friendly functionality - Affordable Price for most visitors - Detailed documentation - Bonuses strengthening the main offer - Timely Customer Support 2. Value to affiliates – It includes: - High conversion rate - High commission - Low refund rate - Commission paid on time - Good affiliate support About The Author: Sam Parker is a managing partner at Maximum Paid Surveys, a premium database of paid surveys and mystery shopping jobs. Maximum Paid Surveys brings superior value to affiliate partners and to registered members by delivering the most professional resource of paid opportunities on the Internet. http://www.maximumpaidsurveys.com
Top 7 Ways To Profit From Foreign Trade
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:46 AM PDT
Here are seven excellent ways to earn income from international trade. 1. Importing: Retail store owners can find additional products to sell from foreign manufacturers, distributors, and other suppliers. You may even decide to go exclusively into the import business and become a wholesale distributor. 2. Exporting: Manufacturers can find new customers for their products in foreign countries. You could also become an Export Management Agent. Arrange for other domestic companies to sell their products to foreign corporations and earn a commission. 3. Licensing: Consider becoming a licensing agent. Earn royalties by arranging for foreign corporations to manufacture and sell the products of domestic companies. 4. Finder`s Fees: You can earn fees from domestic companies for finding foreign buyers (or for finding suitable imports from foreign suppliers). You can also earn fees from foreign companies for finding domestic corporations that will buy their products (or for finding suitable suppliers and products from domestic corporations). 5. Drop Shipping: Visualize receiving an order from a customer based in a foreign country and not having to be bothered with shipping and handling the product. No customs declarations or brokers are required by you. This is because your drop ship supplier is handling those details. 6. Mail Order: Add a mail order service to your existing business operation. Manufacturers, retail stores, and other businesses can increase their sales by using this additional method of selling that is very conducive to international trade. 7. Internet Marketing: You can also extend your reach to worldwide customers by means of the Internet. Methods of obtaining foreign business include affiliate marketing, online auctions, online stores, and websites. About The Author: Stephen Pope, President of Pope Consulting Inc., has been helping clients to earn maximum business profits for over twenty-five years. For more information about international trade and other profitable Work at Home Small Business Ideas, visit http://www.yenommarketinginc.com/impexp.html
The Value Of Safety Videos
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:46 AM PDT
Safety videos can provide many excellent resources for you and for your employees. What are they and how can they help your organization? First, realize that safety videos are full of valuable information. They can teach and provide that information on just about any safety related topic quite simply. And more importantly, effectively. If you have problems with workmen's compensation or employees following state and local safety regulations, consider the purchase and installation of various safety videos. For example, one of the most common workmen's compensation claims has to do with back pain. Most of the time, people do not realize that there is a good and a bad way to lift heavy items. So, they just bend down and lift. But, lifting from your back can cause a number of problems including painful tears, stretches and even problems with the spine. If employees are taught to lift with their legs instead, they can help reduce the injuries that could happen. Providing safety videos to help bring this issue to the front would not only allow them to hear what you need them to do, but to see it too. Safety videos are much more complex than this though. Teaching employees how to handle hazardous chemicals as well as helping them learn the right way to wash their hands before touching food are also available. While you may be thinking that these are common sense things that people should know, many people unfortunately need to be told. So, investing the time and money into safety videos can do this for you quite effectively. You can find a wide range of safety videos available on the web. You'll find them for just about any type of need that you may have. And, you will find that they provide exceptional quality options for teaching your employees about how to remain safe on the job. Not only will this help protect them, it will keep you and your business safe too. About The Author: For more information please see http://www.safety-videos.co.uk
Designing Your Site For The Search Engines
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:46 AM PDT
When you design a website, it's easy to focus on what your visitors are going to see. What you have to realise, though, is that you're going to have another kind of visitor with a completely different agenda: they're not going to be looking at your pretty logo and they're not going to be passing judgement on your background colour. What they're looking for is the content and structure of your page. They're the search engine spiders, and they are in control of probably the largest section of your traffic. You need to please these spiders if you want your site to be successful. Here's how. Make Your Structure Clear. Resist the temptation to lay your page out in non-standard ways: you want it to be very clear to the search engine where the navigation is, where the content is, and where the headings are. As a rule, put navigation first in your page. Always use the heading tags (h1, h2, etc.) for headings and sub-headings. Avoid using generic span and div tags and only making things clear to the user through CSS font sizes: instead, use every 'semantic' HTML tag that applies to your content. If you're quoting someone, use the blockquote tag; if you're posting program code, use the code tag. Search engines love this. Keep Keywords Consistent. It's not usually worth deliberately saturating your content with keywords in hope of a higher search ranking – the engines have pretty much wised up to this tactic – but do make sure that your keywords appear consistently when they occur naturally. For example, for these articles, I have stuck with 'website' throughout, as suddenly writing 'web site' instead would bring down my rankings. HTML and Javascript. It's worth noting that search engines read HTML, but they don't, in general, read Javascript. That means that using Javascript to insert text into your page is a bad idea if you want search engines to see the text. On the other hand, you might want to have just the text in HTML and insert all the other parts of the page with Javascript: this will tend to make your page appear more focused, although you should be careful not to insert navigation links this way if you want the search engines to follow them. Use Meta Tags. Yes, meta tags are out of fashion, and search engines pay no attention to them any more when it comes to ranking your site, but they're still important in one way: the meta description tag is still often used to decide what text search engines' users see when they find your site in their results! This can be just as important as the ranking itself – write something here that will look useful to the searcher, and you're more likely to get them to click-through. Don't forget that, while search engines are just machines and algorithms, the end result of it all does involve a human decision: to click, or not to click? Avoid Splash Pages. You might think it's a great idea to have a 'splash' page displaying a full-page version of your logo (or an ad) to every user who arrives at your site, but search engines really hate that. Using this trick will get you ranked far lower than you would usually be, so you should avoid it – it's annoying to visitors anyway. Include Alt Tags. Any time you use a graphic, include alt text for it – especially if there is text in the graphic. Remember that, as far as search engines are concerned, all your graphics might as well just be big black boxes. Test by removing all your graphics and seeing if your content remains relatively intact. If it doesn't, then you'll be turning search engines away. Finally, Write Great Content. The key with modern search engines (and, at the same time, the thing you have least control over) is how many people decide to link to your page from their page. How can you make more people link to you? Make your content useful. Make it something they'll want to quote on their blogs. Content is more King than it's ever been, and the best way to design for search engines is to make your content really stand out. About The Author: Angie is the lead web designer for a fortune 500 company. Read her thoughts on web design on her blog... http://www.webdesignblogonline.com.
Broadband ISP Comparsion
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:46 AM PDT
The Search for the right ISP The search for the right ISP includes a number of factors. Cost is obviously important. So is the quality of the connection. Other features that are included can also be good. It is also important to know if it is available in your area. There are a variety of ISPs to choose from. Because of this, it is important to choose the best ISP for you. For most subscribers, cost is the most important thing about an ISP. Even though cost is a big issue, many people are not willing to have the poor quality and voluminous advertising that comes with free ISPs. With free ISPs not worth considering, most people then begin looking at lower cost ISPs. As with most things, if there is a lot of flashy advertising, the ISP is probably going to be more expensive. Lower cost ISPs tend to have less advertising. A good way to find them is by searching on the Internet. Even if the price is right, you don't want to go with an ISP that has a weak connection. This can be a recurring problem with ISPs that use cable or phone lines. It can also be a problem if your ISP has too many people trying to access the Internet at the same time, usually during peak times. This happens mostly with dial-up ISP's that do not have an adequate number of phone numbers. It is also smart to make sure that the tasks you do online are compatible with an ISP you are considering using. AOL users sometimes experience problems with some websites and Internet tasks. This is a result of the AOL program being so dominating. Many frequently visited sites have a listing of ISP's that have difficulties with the site. However, this tends to apply to sites that feature music, video and graphics effects but it doesn't usually apply to straight text sites. The features offered by an ISP are an added bonus. Do some research to find the ISPs that address your needs. If you don't want the hassle of pop-ups you will want to look at ISPs that offer pop-up blockers and virus protection. Most parents have concerns about their children surfing the web. If so, you will want a feature that blocks adult sites. All ISPs offer a variety of features, and often come up with new ones, so finding one that is suitable for you is really not that difficult. Always check for availability. It would surprise some people to know that there are ISPs that are not widely available. Free and low cost ISPs are notorious for this problem. You also need to make sure they have a local number in your area, because if not, you could be hit with costly long distance charges. Also, if the ISP doesn't have enough local numbers, you can find yourself not being able to connect during peak hours. About The Author: Robert Michael is the owner of Best Broadband Review which is a great place to find Broadband Links, Resources and Articles. For more information go to: http://www.bestbroadbandreview.co.uk © Copyright 2005
Finding Law School Info
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:45 AM PDT
If you are thinking about it, then getting law school info is something that you should just do. There are many opportunities out there for you, but if you do not reach out to grab them, you will likely miss them. Before this happens to you, make sure that you take the time to gather information such as law school info so that you can make the right decisions while you still have the opportunity. Good news is that all the information that you need, including law school info is available to you right here on the web. Wondering how long it will take for you to study? Thinking about where you should go to school? Perhaps you are not 100% sure that you even want to go to law school. Whatever it is that is holding you back from going to law school, get the information that you need to make the decisions that you need to. Don't put off finding the law school info that you need one more day. Why should you when it is all there in front of you? Some of the best locations to find the law school info that you need to make these decisions are right here on the web. But to find it, you'll need to do some digging. Or, you can visit some of the law school websites and gather it that way. Understanding the career is something like understanding your future. You need to invest time in doing so now so that you can excel later. Take a few minutes and ask some questions. What do you want to know? Is there a school out there that interests you? Will you take the next step to finding the law school info that you need? If so, get started today and find yourself answering all of your own law school questions right away. About The Author: For more information please see http://www.law-school-info.co.uk
Designing Your Site For The Search Engines
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:45 AM PDT
When you design a website, it's easy to focus on what your visitors are going to see. What you have to realise, though, is that you're going to have another kind of visitor with a completely different agenda: they're not going to be looking at your pretty logo and they're not going to be passing judgement on your background colour. What they're looking for is the content and structure of your page. They're the search engine spiders, and they are in control of probably the largest section of your traffic. You need to please these spiders if you want your site to be successful. Here's how. Make Your Structure Clear. Resist the temptation to lay your page out in non-standard ways: you want it to be very clear to the search engine where the navigation is, where the content is, and where the headings are. As a rule, put navigation first in your page. Always use the heading tags (h1, h2, etc.) for headings and sub-headings. Avoid using generic span and div tags and only making things clear to the user through CSS font sizes: instead, use every 'semantic' HTML tag that applies to your content. If you're quoting someone, use the blockquote tag; if you're posting program code, use the code tag. Search engines love this. Keep Keywords Consistent. It's not usually worth deliberately saturating your content with keywords in hope of a higher search ranking – the engines have pretty much wised up to this tactic – but do make sure that your keywords appear consistently when they occur naturally. For example, for these articles, I have stuck with 'website' throughout, as suddenly writing 'web site' instead would bring down my rankings. HTML and Javascript. It's worth noting that search engines read HTML, but they don't, in general, read Javascript. That means that using Javascript to insert text into your page is a bad idea if you want search engines to see the text. On the other hand, you might want to have just the text in HTML and insert all the other parts of the page with Javascript: this will tend to make your page appear more focused, although you should be careful not to insert navigation links this way if you want the search engines to follow them. Use Meta Tags. Yes, meta tags are out of fashion, and search engines pay no attention to them any more when it comes to ranking your site, but they're still important in one way: the meta description tag is still often used to decide what text search engines' users see when they find your site in their results! This can be just as important as the ranking itself – write something here that will look useful to the searcher, and you're more likely to get them to click-through. Don't forget that, while search engines are just machines and algorithms, the end result of it all does involve a human decision: to click, or not to click? Avoid Splash Pages. You might think it's a great idea to have a 'splash' page displaying a full-page version of your logo (or an ad) to every user who arrives at your site, but search engines really hate that. Using this trick will get you ranked far lower than you would usually be, so you should avoid it – it's annoying to visitors anyway. Include Alt Tags. Any time you use a graphic, include alt text for it – especially if there is text in the graphic. Remember that, as far as search engines are concerned, all your graphics might as well just be big black boxes. Test by removing all your graphics and seeing if your content remains relatively intact. If it doesn't, then you'll be turning search engines away. Finally, Write Great Content. The key with modern search engines (and, at the same time, the thing you have least control over) is how many people decide to link to your page from their page. How can you make more people link to you? Make your content useful. Make it something they'll want to quote on their blogs. Content is more King than it's ever been, and the best way to design for search engines is to make your content really stand out. About The Author: Angie is the lead web designer for a fortune 500 company. Read her thoughts on web design on her blog... http://www.webdesignblogonline.com.
Commitment Phobia: Are You Commitment Phobic?
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:43 AM PDT
COMMITMENT PHOBIA: ARE YOU COMMITMENT PHOBIC? By Margaret Paul, Ph.D. Marilee, a client of mine, was commitment phobic. "I'd love to be in a loving relationship," she told me in one of our counseling sessions, "but I'm not willing to give up my freedom. I have a great life. I love my work and my friends. I love to travel and take workshops and classes. I don't want anyone telling me what I can or can't do. I don't want to deal with someone feeling hurt because I want to work rather than be with him. It's just not worth all the hassle." Marcus, another of my clients, was also commitment phobic. "When I'm not in a relationship, that's all I can think about it. I really want someone to play with, to love and to grow with. But soon after getting into a relationship, I start to feel trapped. I feel like I can't do what I want to do and I start to resent the person for limiting me. Most of the time, she has no idea what's going on and is stunned by the break-up. She thought everything was fine. After leaving her, I'm back to square one – wanting to be in a relationship. This has happened over and over again." Commitment phobia has its roots in the belief that when we love someone, we are responsible for their feelings rather than for our own. Once we believe that we are responsible for another's feelings of hurt or rejection as a result of our behavior, we believe we need to limit ourselves in order to not upset the other person. Then, instead of standing up for our own freedom and right to pursue that which brings us joy, we limit our freedom in an effort to have control over the other person's feelings. This will always eventually lead to resentment. "Marilee, " I asked in one of our phone sessions, "What if you picked someone who also loved his work and his personal freedom?" "Frankly, I can't imagine that. Every man I've been in a relationship with has wanted to spend more time with me than I have with him. Am I just picking the wrong man over and over?" "No," I replied. "But you are not standing firm in your freedom from the beginning. You give a lot at the beginning because you enjoy being with him, but, as we've discussed, you also give yourself up a lot at the beginning. You make love when you don't want to. You stay up later than you want to for fear of hurting him. Then, when you do start to tell the truth, he is surprised and hurt. Until you are willing to risk losing him from the beginning rather than lose yourself, you will continue to create relationships that limit your freedom. You end up believing that it is the relationship that limits you, but it is your own fears and beliefs that keep limiting you." In my sessions with Marcus, he discovered that he had no idea how to stand up for himself in a relationship. As soon as a woman wanted something from him, he gave it to her. He just could not bring himself to say no. Then, of course, he ended up feeling trapped. Marcus discovered that his fear of saying no to a woman came from two sources: 1) He believed he was responsible for her feelings, and that he was bad if he did anything that upset her. 2) He was afraid that if she felt hurt, she would get angry and reject him. As a result of these two fears, Marcus continually gave himself up in relationships. However, giving himself up created such resentment toward his partner that he eventually didn't want to be with her anymore and left the relationship. In order to have both our personal freedom and be in a committed relationship, we need to learn to take responsibility for our own feelings rather than the other person's feelings, and we need to be willing to lose the other person rather than lose ourselves. Commitment phobia heals when you become strong enough to be true to yourself, even in the face of another's anger, rejection, or loss. If you want to have a loving relationship, then you need to do the inner work necessary to develop a strong adult self who can be a powerful advocate for your personal freedom. About The Author: Margaret Paul, Ph.D. is the best-selling author and co-author of eight books, including "Do I Have To Give Up Me To Be Loved By You?" and "Healing Your Aloneness." She is the co-creator of the powerful Inner Bonding healing process. Learn Inner Bonding now! Visit her web site for a FREE Inner Bonding course: http://www.innerbonding.com or email her at mailto: margaret@innerbonding.com. Phone Sessions Available.
Google Love - Five Top Tips To Make Google Love Your Site
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:42 AM PDT
Trying to fight Google or be cleverer somehow is pointless, destructive and the wrong attitude. Learn to LOVE Google and work WITH IT instead - and it will send you streams upon streams of people. It's as easy as pie if you follow these straightforward instructions. 1. Google Love ... Google and all its programming is not some form of enemy - unless you are a piece of web scum, that is. Google is based on the idea that it should help people FIND WHAT THEY ARE LOOKING FOR. That's all. Sit with the statement above. Meditate upon it if necessary. Use EFT. But UNDERSTAND that a pointless site that has no unique content will NEVER get ANYWHERE with Googly or any other outfit that is using their techniques and methods. You can buy books and ebooks until your wallet bleeds on "how to trick Google" this and that - just forget it. Unless you have SOME THING that SOME PEOPLE will HONESTLY WANT and be grateful for when they find it, there is no hope and there is no point in reading any further. Also, trying to fight Google or be cleverer somehow is pointless, destructive and the wrong attitude. Learn to LOVE Google and work WITH IT. If you have the contents, and you follow the most simplest common spider robot courtesy protocols, then it will come and it will index you. It will be that mystical bridge between YOUR (customers, people, communities, friends) and your site. That's what it does, that's what it is, that's it's nature and if you know that, then all is well. You will get good results following the rest of this. 2. Dressing For Google ... So now, let's have a DECENT website with DECENT content. A decent website means: - All the pages and directories have links that work properly and allow Google to slide with immense ease from one place to the other, without ever hitting an annoying dead end; - All the pages are cleaned up so that you have the absolute MINIMUM of html instructions and nothing that doesn't need to be there, such as vast and pointless java scripts or the truly appalling "mso" instructions; - All the pages have the right meta tags which ACCURATELY REFLECT what's on them, and including title, content, description, keywords at the very minimum; - All your pages have proper headings and descriptions and content WHICH MATCHES your meta tags to a T; - All your images are title and alt tagged CORRECTLY and resident on your own site. Decent content means: - Whatever you've got, it is USEFUL. If it is UNIQUE, so much the better, and that's not hard. All you need to is to be yourself and use your own words, even if you are affiliate - write your own reviews, put your own dog's picture on it, be unique, be YOURSELF. - Whatever you've got, I'm sure there's some people who want to look at it, read it, do something with it. There's billions of people out there. Just make sure YOU KNOW WHO YOUR PEOPLE ARE and write to THEM. - Decent content also means that what you've got is presented so that both Google and a human being get it what that is all about. When your website is up and running, test, test and test again. Try every single hyperlink on your own computer, on someone else's and on all manner of different browsers. Only when you are happy that it all works as it should, we go to Step 3. 3. Let Google SEE You You need a minimum of 35 decent links going to your site for Google to take any notice of you and start paying attention. Please be aware that "one link" is just that - http://www.snark.net is NOT the same as http://www.snark.net, which is not the same as http://snark.net, nor even remotely similar to any variation including http://snark.net/index.php All, each and every ONE is viewed as a single separate link - when you need 35 ALL GOING TO ONE SINGLE ADDRESS to do the magic. So now, to the "decent links" part. A site that isn't indexed much by Google or doesn't turn up until page 1,993,990 on a Google search for its kind is WORTHLESS to you. Find HIGH RANKED directory listings for your site and list your site THERE. This goes for any of the many variations on getting a link from another site, be it a guestbook signed or an article placed. Don't waste your time with anything that itself doesn't turn up on Google's own top ten. Now, you've got a date with Google. What we need to do next is to BUILD A RELATIONSHIP - prove our value and worth over time, in other words. That's the next of our Google top tips - seniority and reliability. 4. Be THERE When Google Calls! Make sure you've got a decent ISP with 99% uptime or better - that's of course elementary. Don't ever take your site down for whatever reason and make any changes gradually. Most importantly, get the best tracking software you can afford and find out who is already coming, and what they are coming for. That's the key to long term success - to find what you're doing well and then expanding on it. For example, if one person came from Google (or any other search engine) for the term "snark", then build on that. Write more articles about snarks, what to do with them and without them, how to avoid them, collect snark images - in other words, become the first port of call for any snark enquiry. Build on your speciality some more with a web directory, guest articles, reviews and then we're more than 3/4 the way to a real web presence and Google responding to changes in your site near instantly, which is what we want. 5. Keep Improving ALL THE TIME. The final success tip is to keep improving ALL THE TIME. Pull up the html or php you wrote a year ago - I bet you can do better now. Review your meta tags and your site copy and improve on both. Name your pages, images and directories better. Improve the content, structure, navigation of your site. Keep at it with directory listings and submissions - directories come and go, you need to be always there with the "state of the art". Keep doing useful link exchanges with matching high ranked sites too and keep adding VALUE and UNIQUE CONTENT to your clean and well presented pages. That's the most important thing of all - to keep at it with continuous improvement. Follow these steps EXACTLY with a well named new site with decent content - and you WILL see immediate improvement in your Google rankings. Good Luck and Good Spirits always, Silvia :-) About The Author: Silvia Hartmann is the author of "MindMillion" and the NEW "60 Second Wealth Boosters" - Be cool, be smart, be WEALTHY! http://MindMillion.com
How To Cure Your Slice By Developing A Better Golf Swing
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:42 AM PDT
The slice is probably one of the most common swing flaws for amateurs. It is an outside-to-inside swing path that creates side spin on the golf ball. The side spin causes the ball to cut hard to the side, making it a very frustrating day on the course. It also seems to be one of the most difficult swing flaws to fix. There have been hundreds of so-called golf training aids that guarantee to cure your slice. And I am sure we have all bought or thought about buying one of these gadgets after a frustrating day on the course. Some of these golf-training aids do help you to cure your slice; others do not. In addition to golf training aids, there have been countless articles written about the golf slice. These articles discuss the slice in-depth and oftentimes provide "fixes" for the golf slice. If you've been a golfer for any amount of time, I am sure you've come across at least one or two of these articles. Maybe you have even tried to implement some of the suggested fixes into your golf swing. Some of these golf swing fixes may have helped, others maybe not. At BioForce Golf we are committed to improving your golf game. And we believe it is fundamentally a process of improving both the body and swing. As a result, we are committed to providing you cutting-edge, researched, and PGA-Tour-proven information in the areas of golf instruction, golf fitness, and golf swing improvement. Providing information on curing swing flaws like the slice is no different. Recently, some research from the University of North Carolina provided some interesting information on curing the slice. A Professor from UNC and the head teaching pro from Pinehurst (venue of the 2005 US Open) performed a series of research studies on the golf swing slice. These researchers took a group of golfers prone to slicing the golf ball through a battery of tests. These tests were to determine the best swing drills to the cure the dreaded slice. Golf swing drills, in general, break down the golf swing into manageable parts to allow an individual to work on a specific part of the swing. It is very difficult, as we all know, to work on "fixing" your swing when performing a full swing. It becomes too much for the brain and body to process. It is usually best to break down the swing into parts and implement drills that work on specific parts of the swing. This allows you to simplify the process, fix the area of the swing that needs work, and eventually bring it back into the full golf swing. Back to the research project on the slice and the swing drills. After the process of taking these amateur golfers through this battery of swing drills, the researchers found that two swing drills were of the greatest benefit. These two drills apparently showed the greatest effect on assisting the amateur golfer prone to slicing to fix such a problem. The first drill that showed benefit was the "toe-in drill." This drill apparently placed the golfer in the correct positions during the swing to assist in curing the slice. The second drill was the "split hand." This drill helped the amateur "feel" the correct release of the club and the swing path of the club. Again, both of these drills during this research project indicated the greatest amount of help to the amateur in the attempt to cure the slice. What points of validity can we draw from this research project? Obviously, the "split hand" and "toe-in drill" are beneficial in assisting an amateur golfer with the slice. Secondly, it probably indicated that there are many swing drills and possibly training aides that are not beneficial to amateur golfer. This points to the idea that the amateur golfer must understand the swing in order to decipher what are the best drills for their swing. Finally, it indicates that proper swing mechanics are necessary for fundamental success on the golf course. Obviously, a poor golf swing will result in poor play on the golf course. Implement this and other information provided by BioForce Golf to help you develop a better golf swing. Sean About The Author: Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
Buying A Property Abroad Considerations
by
Mnet
on Tue 18 Oct 2005 05:42 AM PDT
Many people now days are buying a second home abroad, say Dubai as either a holiday location or because they have decided to relocate to that area due to work commitments or because they are retiring and would like to enjoy a bit more sun. When people are thinking of buying a property abroad there are a number of issues you may need to consider before making that all important purchase and I list below some of them. 1. How much capital do you have available to invest in the new property and if you need to obtain additional capital for the purchase will it be through your current lender or will you be requesting it from another source, say a lender in the country where you are looking to purchase your property. If you wish to lend from a financial institute in the country of your choice you will need to investigate what percentage of borrowing you allow, in some countries you will only provide them with an 80% loan, which means you will need to provide the other 20% capital for your purchase. 2. The type of property you are wishing to purchase? Will it be a town house, an apartment or villa? Also what sort of location are you looking for? Do you want to be in a gated community or a complex, the country, town or village? Also what sort of facilities do you want close to your property, such as shops, restaurants, bars, and sports facilities? 3. Make sure that you contact a reputable real estate agent, one who will be able to provide them with all the necessary information on the property that you are looking to purchase, including all building regulations and planning permissions that should be held. Also this agent should be able to put them in contact with a solicitor/legal advisor who will be able to deal with the drawing up and completion of the contracts of sale. 4. As stated above, where possible request that the real estate agent provides you with the necessary paperwork relating to the buildings legality. In some countries an issue has arisen where people have brought properties and then find that permission for the property to be built has not been given and the consequences in some respects have ended up with these people not only losing their homes but also all the money they have invested in the property. 5. Another thing I would suggest you carry out is research on any local customs or laws for the region you are looking to move to, as in some countries you may find their laws and regulations are not so relaxed as where you reside now, say for instance you decide to purchase a property in Dubai you will find that you are only allowed to drink alcohol within the confines of your own home, in hotels or at a licensed premises any where else and you could find yourself at the mercy of the local police force. Finally another reason for buying a second property abroad that could influence your decision is the Cost of Living i, for example you may find that the money you have to buy a property at home, say a two bedroom apartment will in fact allow you to purchase a three bedroom Villa in the country where you are looking to purchase. By investing in the right property in the right area you can providing yourself with an additional income from rentals and a property that will incease in value over the coming years. I hope the above has given you food for thought and helps you when making a decision about purchasing a property abroad. About The Author: Ahmed Raz is a director of http://www.dubailiving.co.uk Which includes the informative Dubai Lifestyle and Property Forum http://www.dubailiving.co.uk/forum/index.php
Golf Carts: Not Just For Golfers Anymore
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:04 PM PDT
According to new research, more than 60% of cars in the USA North America travel less than 15 miles per day and nearly half of drivers travel less than five miles away from home. With gas prices climbing higher every day and air being polluted with gas emissions, a golf car is the most environmentally friendly vehicle out there. With all the golf cart accessories available, golf carts can become the most stylish and eco-friendly vehicle on the road. Golf carts are widely used in university campuses where they transport people, goods and equipment, and are even used in cases of medical emergencies. They are also used in quiet neighborhoods, at large sports events by the personnel, and of course, on golf courses by golfers. Many golf carts are purchased by disabled people who appreciate the higher speed and safety of golf carts compared to those of power wheelchairs. Driving a golf cart is extremely economic. It costs around one cent per ten miles to operate an electric golf cart. It's also ten times cheaper to maintain and repair a golf cart than a car. However, not many automotive giants readily leap into the golf cart market, claiming that there is currently no demand for golf carts. Still, more and more neighborhoods, especially in resort areas or those surrounded by golf courses, switch to golf carts to access malls, movie theaters, schools and restaurants without having to ride on the highway. In university campuses golf carts can be used only on designated streets and paths. Golf carts, as neighborhood electric vehicles with a proper license can travel on roads with posted speed limit of 35 mph. Golf carts were introduced in the 1950s and later became popular thanks to golf visionaries such as Billy Dolan. With golf carts, golf greatly evolved as a game. Smaller, more efficient and nicely designed golf carts with cute stylish accessories such as custom wheels and seats, lift kits and even programmable speed controls, golf carts are becoming safer each year. As a vehicle, golf carts can have three or four wheels. They can be powered by electric or internal combustion motors. The most famous golf carts manufacturers include Cushman, Club Car, Daihatsu, and many more. Among the most popular golf cart accessories today are lift kits that add clearance to the golf cart which help with accessing rocky places and bumpy roads. Many lift kits include off-road tires that can be used on the golf cart making it a rough little off-road beast. Another popular golf cart accessory that is in huge demand in colder seasons is a rain curtain. These curtains can be snapped to the car frame to sit permanently on the car body, or they can be clipped to the car with hooks and removed in warmer seasons. Many golf cart accessories basically do nothing except add some flare. Racing-style aluminum pedal kits, graphic and even 3D camouflage, custom steering wheels will add a stylish touch to any golf cart. Golf carts are slowly spreading beyond student campuses, golf resorts and retirement communities. Well-designed and safe golf carts may soon be as common on city streets as scooters and bikes. About The Author: Kathryn Whittaker writes articles on a number of different topics. For more information on Golf Carts please visit http://www.golf-carts-guide.com and for additional Golf Cart articles please visit http://www.golf-carts-guide.com/golfcarts-articles/
Creating a Halloween Full of Treats
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:03 PM PDT
Creating a Halloween Full of Treats
By Patricia Twitchell One of the most exciting nights of the year for children is Halloween. It is a night of laughter, fun, candy, and more candy. Although a night that is meant to be memorable, it can also be one of the most concerning for parent's. The following recommendations will help everyone enjoy "tricks and treats" to the fullest. -Fix all outdoor lighting to make walkways visible -Secure pets, especially dogs, to avoid unnecessary barking and biting -Use battery operated jack-o-lanterns rather than those with real flames -Offer healthy alternatives to candy -Keep police and fire department numbers handy in case of an emergency -If you are taking your children door to door keep them in sight at all times -Have children walk in groups -Everyone should carry an operational flashlight -Teach children to obey traffic signals and stay on sidewalks -Stay in familiar neighborhoods -Have an emergency plan -Make sure children have a cell phone with them -Wear a watch that can be read in the dark -Make sure shoes fit -Put reflective tape or markings on clothing -Approach only well lit homes When you buy costumes make sure they are made of flame retardant material and easy to move in. Make sure your children know where to reach you in case of an emergency. Have them carry your contact information on them in a pocket. If you will be welcoming Trick or Treaters to your home, make their experience is a pleasant one by being enthusiastic and welcoming. If you are taking young folks door-to-door display lots of enthusiasm as you set the tone for the evening. You can help to make a special occasion even more exciting by remembering that this is what memories are made of. About the author Patricia Twitchell is the proprietor of Just Bears and Stuff, a unique gift shop located in Myrtle Creek, Oregon. Whether visiting the shop or browsing the website, you can enjoy one of the best selections of Boyd's, Gund, Cottage Collectibles, Quarry Critters, and more.. Receive "Beary Special Moments" a free online teddy bear facts and tips e-zine by visiting www.justbearsandstuff.com
How to Close More Sales: The Art & Science of Closing
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:03 PM PDT
One of the questions I often get asked as a sales coach by sales people and business owners alike is, "How do I close sales better? What closing techniques would you recommend?" In my experience, closing is one of the three most feared areas of the sales process. The other two are fear of canvassing and fear of objections. But the real question is, what is it about these three that creates such a fear? Especially, when even some of the most successful sales professionals face challenges in one or more of these three areas. The answer is simple - fear of rejection. Humans are social animals and the fear of rejection is one of the primary human drivers so it takes a different line of thought to face this issue. Mere techniques will not suffice. There are books about closing with hundreds of different types of closes in. Some are great examples, some are awful but all of them have one thing in common. They are just examples. They are often not usable as "off the shelf" solutions for your sales scenarios because they each represent a model and that model only works if the person you are dealing with is "running" a similar model in their personality and if your situation is nearly the same too! Now, I am not saying don't study about sales. Infact, quite the opposite. I do recommend that you read everything you can about sales and human communications because you will learn more about sales and communications in that way than from virtually any other. What you learn however may not always be what the author intended as you should be a student of human behaviour and influence, not beholden to any one particular book! When Bruce Lee studied kung fu he took the best of each style of kung fu and designed a new art which had no set forms and changed to be the most effective for each and every situation. A good sales professional will be aiming to achieve the same. The first tactic for achieving a better close ration is to change the words that you use. Why not "ask for the business" or "take the order" or "provide a solution" instead? These words don't create the same fear. I have tested this on dozens of sales people and removing the word that the fear is associated with removes the fear too. If anyone has read Anthony Robbin's material he describes how you can only experience feelings that you have words for and that words only have the meaning that you ascribe to them. He describes how, because the quality of snow is important to their survival, eskimos have dozens of different words for snow but we just have sleet and snow. Their experience of snow is different than ours and we cannot comprehend that because we have no words to describe it. Secondly, it is important that you start with the end in mind. Whenever you go to a meeting or make a call think through it in your head first. Think about what outcome you want from the meeting or call and think through the possible ways this might occur. Think also of what the minimum outcome is that you are prepared to accept from the meeting or call. When you have built rapport, asked questions, uncovered your clients' needs and provided a solution it's only natural to ask for the business. After all, you have provided a solution so asking for the business is the next step! Why would you accept less than your minimum acceptable behaviour from the client? I once worked with a talented sales professional. He made fantastic cold calls, built elegant and effective rapport and uncovered client needs effortlessly but he did little business. In a short coaching session I discovered that he disassociated the sales process from "closing" hence he would "do the meeting" and then think, "Oh dear! Now I need to close!". Cue panic. His customers could see it and the sale was lost, every time. He was in "sales" mode and they were resisting and he was a nice guy so it was easier to walk away than risk rejection or upsetting the client! Simply by viewing the sale as one seemless process with a natural conclusion he was able to see the "timeline" and "path" of the sale. If the client deviated from this he was able to maintain control and bring them back on track. He achieved a sales breakthrough literally overnight. At this point, I might add that you must remain flexible. There will be times when you cannot make the sale for unexpected reasons. On these occasions, it is important that you assess your performance objectively. Ask yourself whether next time you could ask better questions to uncover the unexpected situation earlier. If the answer is "no" then reset your objective for the meeting. If the answer is "yes" then take on board what you have to learn and reset the objective for your next meeting. But, and this is very important, always remember to set a new objective for the meeting. When was the last time you heard this conversation: "How was the sales meeting?" "Great". "How did you get on?". "Oh, great I think he / she will use us!". My next question for you is, "So what's the next step?" This should have been agreed, with time-scales with the client. If it hasn't then you haven't reached your objective. Maybe this was because you didn't set one or you didn't achieve it but this sales meeting was not "great"! Let's face it, you work hard to find clients and get that all important meeting with them and you listen hard to understand their true needs not your perceived ones. When you provide a solution that matches their needs they are expecting you to "ask for the business". When this becomes a relaxed, natural part of the meeting you will achieve more and effortless sales. =========================================================== Gavin Ingham specialises in maximising sales performance under intense competition. Get Gavin's book acclaimed book on selling, "Objections! Objections! Objections!"... http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?products_id=117 =========================================================== keywords: selling, sales, objections, handling objections, objection handling, close sales, closing, closing sales, sales closes
How To Double Your Debt Collections
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:02 PM PDT
HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR DEBT COLLECTIONS By Jim Finucan Believe it or not, the success of your attempt to collect a debt is usually decided right at the beginning of your phone call – with the very first thing you say after the other party says hello. Knowing exactly what you are going to say – and handling the call in an organized, professional manner is the foundation upon which collections are made or lost. A professionally executed collections call has four parts: Part One is The Open – how you identify yourself, your company and the problem. And, how you place that problem before the debtor. Don't ask him when he's going to get around to paying you, or why he is putting you off. If you do you'll be at a disadvantage right off the bat. Instead, put the debtor in the position of having to explain himself. Say something like "What are your intentions toward this bill?" Part Two: The Facts. If the debtor doesn't agree to pay the bill early on, move into the next part of the call: asking questions about his situation. It's important to make a smooth transition here because you don't want to alarm the debtor. Say something like: "Let me just fill out an extension form for you." Then you can start asking about his job, whether his wife is employed, any outstanding loans he may have, credit cards, etc. Part Three: The Dun – Once your questioning has given you the information you need you can show the debtor a way in which he or she can pay the debt. You now know, for instance, that he can afford to put it on his MasterCard, or that she could qualify for a bank loan. Now you're in position to make your demand for payment (the dun). Part Four: The Close. Whether the debtor has agreed to pay or not, there is also a specific way you should close the call. And I don't mean "Gee, thanks. Have a nice day!" or "You've got your nerve!" Use an open-ended question designed to put the debtor on the spot; something like "Do I have your word on that?" If he has refused to pay or continues to dodge the issue remind him of how serious the situation is. Make it clear that the problem must be resolved. Be professional. Don't insult him. Save any threats of legal action until you've contacted the debtor several times without success and see no other option. Never threaten legal action unless you fully intend to follow through, otherwise you could be accused of harassment. Collection calls are sometimes a necessary part of the billing process. Making the effort to learn and use as many collection techniques as possible will bring you better results and greatly improve the health of your bottom line. (End) Jim Finucan has put 12 years of experience as a "top gun" collections pro into his book "Past Due – A Debt Collections Manual." For more information about the book please visit: http://www.tiare.com/pastdue.htm
How to Beat Gatekeepers - 10 Top Tips
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:02 PM PDT
How to Beat Gatekeepers - 10 Top Tips - by Gavin Ingham Have you ever made a call where you failed to get through to the decision maker whether cold call or warm call? I bet you have. I don't think there is anyone involved with sales who hasn't! Well, these tips are for you. They can be used when cold calling, warm calling or even calling your existing clients! However you utilise them, they will help you to effortlessly improve your call to client contact ratios... 1. Change "please" to "thankyou". Change the word "please" to the word "thankyou". I know that this sounds deceptively simple but it is one of the most powerful techniques that anyone can teach. The reason for this is that "please" is a request and "thankyou" presupposes that the listener will take action. "If you could let John know that it's Gavin, Gavin Ingham on the line for him. Thank you." Or "Yes of course you can, I'm calling from Gavin Ingham Ltd. If you could just let him know that I'm on the line. Thank you." 2. Give information sparingly. I have coached literally thousands of sales professionals, made tens of thousands of calls and listened to thousands and thousands more! One of the biggest challenges with dealing with gatekeepers is that most callers give out too much information! Let's consider some of the most common objections from gatekeepers... "He wouldn't be interested!", "Send some literature through on that!", "We already have a supplier thankyou!", "We're not looking at the moment!" and "We have no budget at present!" Think for a moment and tell me what all of these have in common... that's right! They're all objections to information that you gave the gatekeeper! The less information you hand out, the more work the gatekeeper has to do and the fewer the objections you invite. What's more, if you give information sparingly you often know what the next question or questions will be so you can plan your answers carefully... remembering to finish them with a polite, "Thank you!" 3. Answer only questions asked. This builds on tip 2! A lot of salespeople answer questions that they were never asked and thus create their own objections. Give information sparingly and only answer the questions asked. Don't be worried about repeating yourself and remember... the answer to a closed question can be as short as "Yes" or "No!". 4. Believe that you will be put through. You get what you believe... you don't necessarily believe what you get! What do I mean by that? Well, think about it for a moment... If you believed that most gatekeepers were difficult, aggressive and that you were unlikely to get through how would you feel? Pretty lousy I bet! You'd probably be saying stuff to yourself like, "Why me?" and "This is doomed to failure!" More than likely you'd get a bad result and when you did you'd say to yourself, "See! Knew it!" Even if you got a good result you'd note it down as "Well, that was just good luck!" Conversely, if you believed that you were going to get through and that you had the authority, importance and seniority to be put through every time how would you feel? Fantastic! You'd be saying stuff to yourself like, "I'm going through!" and "Yes!". Chances are you'd get some pretty good results but what's more important, when you did fail you'd just say something like, "Well even a great cold caller like me can't win them all!!!" 5. Transmit seniority. Senior people get put through without getting beaten up by gatekeepers. It's a fact of life. If gatekeepers beat senior people up they'd not be long for their jobs so they cannot afford to get this wrong. But they don't, do they!! How come? Well, the answer's simple, senior people transmit seniority by sounding senior. Simple as that. Listen to directors in your business, listen to directors on the phone and model their pace, tone, pitch, pauses and emphasis. As a general rule senior people speak more s-l-o- w-l-y so this would be a great place to start! How will you convey seniority on the phone? 6. Create impression that you're known. People who are known to decision-makers get through. You don't ring up your friends and not get through so there must be several things that go on at the start of the call that suggest whether you're known or not. Use of first name terms, not giving too much information and sounding senior are some of the most important. Another is using the PA's name. It's often worth finding this out beforehand. "Hello, Mary. I hope you're well today. Is John in the office?" "Yes" "Great. Could you let him know that it's Gavin, Gavin Ingham on the line for him thank you." 7. Use downward inflexion in your voice. Up to 50% of cold calls have upward inflection on the ends of sentences. This turns the statement into a question and invites objection. It also sounds very unconfident therefore not senior and more likely than not, a sales call. By ensuring that your voice goes down at the end of sentences you turn a statement into an order. Practise doing this and still sounding polite... "If you could just let her know that I'm on the line. Thank you (going down)." 8. Use client's first name. You'll have noticed this already in the short scripts that I have used. First name terms implies you're known. It also implies equality therefore senior. I often get asked about this and I would highly recommend that prior to making a cold call (in particular) you ring into the client and get the names of both the decision-maker and the PA. 9. Pre-plan your approach. Despite the fact that dealing with gatekeepers poses a challenge for many salespeople, most do not take the time to pre-plan their approach. If you think about it, there are only a handful of responses that you can be given. The more structured you are in your approach to this, the more successful you will be. If you get stuck with a certain response don't stay on the phone and get confrontational! Thank the PA for their time, finish the call and ask yourself, "What do I learn from this and how will I deal with it differently next time?" When you have an answer, write it down and go over it a few times in your head. That way, next time you get into the same situation you will be prepared with your more flexible approach. 10. Practice with a friend. Whilst the techniques in this article are simple they will not happen as a result of you just reading the article. You will need to review the article a couple of times and then consider what you currently do and how you can improve it. Once you get to that stage you will reap massive rewards if you sit down with a friend or colleague and practice together. That way you can have several "dry runs" before you actually pick up the phone with your powerful new techniques. =========================================================== Gavin Ingham specialises in maximising sales performance under intense competition. Get Gavin's book acclaimed book on selling, "Objections! Objections! Objections!"... http://www.bookshaker.com/product_info.php?products_id=117 =========================================================== keywords: selling, sales, objections, handling objections, objection handling, gate keepers, gatekeeper
Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 2
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:00 PM PDT
Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 2 Steve Majors (p31 - The Lazy Investor's Guide to Real Estate) Real Estate Investing Financing Truths - Part 2 of 2 No Money Down and other 'Creative' Real Estate Investment Methods For many years, investors have seen the traditional real estate investment methods described in Part 1 of this article as a lot less than desirable! They began looking at the prices of houses and finding methods of bringing the price more in line with making more money in a faster way. These savvy investors developed ways to get loans on properties that allowed them to pull money out whenever they buy a real estate investment (cash back at closing) and lower their payments to build up their cash flow ('creative' investing). They even developed methods of determining a Sellers motivation for selling - and bought the property at a discount price. These creative investors also saw that some Sellers were not able (for whatever reason) to sell the property at a discount price, however, they still needed to get rid of the property, as they didnt know how to manage it as a landlord, or make money from it - not that it couldnt be done, they simply lacked the knowledge of how to do it. The Seller just never learned how to profit from a real estate investment. These investors understood how to make money from such properties, and did. They bought the property on discount terms, and made money from the spread by selling it at retail price and/or terms (certainly one of my favorite methods of real estate investing). Buy Every Real Estate Investment via Discount Price or Discount Terms. Several years ago (actually, it really took off in the 1980s), Real Estate Investment Experts began seeing the potential for making money in bringing this treasured knowledge to the public in the form of home-study courses, seminars and Boot Camps. They found that it wouldn't create competition for themselves, as many people, even though they purchase real estate courses and attend seminars and Boot Camps, will not actually take the information and utilize it to make the hundreds and even thousands of dollars possible for anyone serious about Real Estate Investing. These Real Estate Investment Experts (being dubbed 'guru') found that this side of the business was lucrative often making more income from teaching about real estate investing than the actual real estate investments themselves. It is important to understand that these real estate investment gurus learned early that they can only teach others what to do, not be responsible for the other persons success. Providing the information to those that choose not to use it is very similar to the old adage "You can lead a horse to water, but you cant make it drink". Yes, these real estate investment gurus got wealthy from selling this information, but their theories, principles and techniques taught thousands of others (those that take action on what they learn) how to realize their dreams utilizing their tried and true methods of real estate investing. From home-study courses and seminars, to boot camps and one-on-one training, these methods have been proven to be not only interesting to millions of people, but capable of bringing massive wealth to those that take action on what is taught - those that go on and actually make real estate investments themselves. Knowledge changes things... This knowledge of no money down real estate investing techniques being known by thousands of Sellers has made changes in the industry. By bringing the Seller into the knowledgeable realm of Real Estate investing, Sellers now know many of the methods that the gurus teach. This is both a blessing and a curse. To the talented investor, these knowledgeable people are more likely to work to create a WIN-WIN situation. Investors that avoid the tricks and stick to the basic real estate investment techniques and terms that have been proven to work over and over again, have proven these powerful real estate investment strategies work even with these informed Sellers. Oh, yes, many of these real estate investment techniques work today, as they have for many years. So much so that it is almost possible to say they have become principles; things that work, over and over, the same way no matter what happens - like gravity. However, sadly, they are not really principles, as several of the real estate investment methods and techniques that worked in the 1980s and even through the 1990s are today not as powerful, nor do they work as often as they did before (although some 'gurus' are still teaching the same methods - even after 20 years...). Some of this decline is due to a more educated society (due to the flood of real estate investment information available via books, tapes, home-study courses and the Internet), while some of it is due to simple changes in policies and laws. It seems like a wave started late in 2003, the FHA announced that flips (transactions where investors buy houses cheaply and sell them at or near market rates) are "illegal". (Note that illegal in this context is not a legal term, but one that has been adopted from "you are not allowed to do that and do business with us".) The FHAs announcement started a wave of concern (if not panic) throughout the Real Estate investing community. Title and Mortgage companies began to tighten up their reigns. Many of these companies, in lieu of direct information, began simply not completing any transactions that did not follow the traditional real estate investment system. This made it hard for investors to complete transactions that involved simple buy-then-resell agreements (as they are not really real estate investments, but a rather nice way to make some fast CA$H!). In rapid appreciation areas (California and Nevada, for example), the ability to flip a property all but stopped (became 'illegal'). All the 'traditional' creative real estate investing methods were virtually put on hold. Ingenuity to the rescue, other methods of real estate investing always seem to pop up. After all, "Necessity is the Mother of Invention", and "Where there is a Will, there is a Way" are absolute principles. Investors have to make a way to get things done - a way to keep their real estate investments profitable, and even more creative real estate investing methods were developed - to keep real estate investors, and the love of real estate investment, alive forever. ------------------------------------------------------------------- Steve Majors - The Lazy Investor Profit from Real Estate Investment articles, real estate investing information and news from one of the most creative investors on the planet ~FREE MEMBERSHIP & real estate training course~ http://SteveMajors.com
A Student's Guide to Search Engines
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:00 PM PDT
A Student's Guide to Search Engines
By Kelly Garbato, author of "13 Lucky Steps to Writing a Research Paper" http://www.kellygarbato.com/ The Internet consists of billions upon billions of individual files, located on millions of different web sites. Certainly, then, the `Net is a veritable treasure trove of information for students, who routinely turn the Web for help with their coursework. Yet, all this knowledge is of little use if you don't know how to locate and access what you need, quickly and easily. Enter search engines! Search engines are essentially tools that allow you to search for information available on the Web using keywords and search terms. Rather than searching the Web itself, however, you are actually searching the engine's database of files. Search engines are actually three separate tools in one. The spider is a program that "crawls" through the Web, moving from link to link, looking for new web pages. Once it finds new sites or files, it adds them to the search engine's index. This index is a searchable database of all the information the spider has found on the Web. Some engines index every word in each document, while others select certain words (such as those occurring most often). The search engine itself is a piece of software that allows users to search the engine's database. Clearly, an engine's search is only as good as the index it's searching. So, when you run a query using a search engine, you're really only searching the engine's index of what's on the Web, as opposed to the entire Web. No one search engine is capable of indexing everything on the Web - there's just too much information out there! Consequently, much of the information overlooked in search engine queries includes breaking news, documents, multimedia files, images, tables, and other data. Collectively, these types of resources are referred to as the deep or invisible Web. They're buried deep in the Web and are invisible to search engines. Search engines usually feature advertisements in the form of paid results. Those sites that pay a fee may be included in your search results, usually at the very top of the list. Some engines group advertisers separately, for instance, on the side of the page. While search engines must clearly label all advertisers, they vary widely in their compliance with FTC rules. The method by which an engine determines how its search results will be presented to the user is called ranking. Early search engines, now called first generation search engines, used term ranking to organize their results. In term ranking, a result's importance is determined by how often and where the search term appears in the document. Most of today's search engines are much more sophisticated than this. These second generation search engines use a number of methods, sometimes in combination, to rank their results. In relevancy ranking, second generation engines use various algorithms to determine a document's relevance to your search. This is by far the most popular ranking method, though engines often allow you to sort your results alphabetically or group them by site, source, and/or concept. In addition to ranking method, a number of other features distinguish one engine from another. You will encounter two basic types of search engines. Individual search engines are just that - individual engines which compile and search their own databases. Meta search engines, on the other hand, search several individual search engines at once. Meta engines do not maintain their own databases, but search those assembled by other engines. Meta engines present their search results in one of two ways. Using separate retrieval, they may group the results collected from each individual engine separately, so that you have a list of results from each engine. Separate retrieval often results in many redundant "hits." Collated retrieval solves this problem by weeding out duplicate results obtained from different individual engines. Many engines allow you to choose between the two or even use collated retrieval while still grouping your results by search engine source. Search engines can be useful when conducting research, as long as you exercise caution. Always keep an eye out for paid results, and try to avoid engines that don't disclose their advertisers. Search engines are a good idea when you have a very specific or obscure topic to research. Queries for broad or popular topics will return more results than is practical, and the information found may be of questionable quality. Thus, you should stick to academic databases unless you are having trouble finding enough information on your topic. Search engines can also be helpful if you're looking for specific types of files, such as pictures. Meta engines are even more helpful in tackling those "needle in a haystack" searches, since they conduct several searches at once. For this reason, they are also good if you want to get an overview of what is out there, or if your topic is an uncommon one. Keep in mind, though, that meta searches will only retrieve the most relevant results from each engine, since they're limited in the number of results they can uncover. Another casualty of meta searches is flexibility. Because you're searching many engines at once, you're only granted access to the search features that they all have in common. Finally, you should not rely on any one engine. Recall that each engine draws on a different database (or group of databases, as is the case with meta engines). Some cover portions of the deep web, while others go nowhere near it. Accordingly, you will get a different set of results depending on which engine you use. Rather than become familiar with only one, try out a number of them and pick a dozen or so that you like. While you should read each engine's instructions before running a search, don't try to memorize all the details, since they're likely to change anyway! Search engines are an excellent means of locating otherwise impossible-to-find information online. There are many options available for the discriminating student researcher, so be selective and choose an engine that meets your unique needs! RESOURCE BOX ============= Copyright Kelly Garbato, 2005 Kelly Garbato is an author, ePublisher, and small business owner. She recently self-published her first book, "13 Lucky Steps to Writing a Research Paper," now available at Amazon.com (www.amazon.com) or through Peedee Publishing (www.peedeepublishing.com). To learn more about the author, visit her web site at www.kellygarbato.com.
Inuit Eskimo Soapstone Carvings as Corporate and Cultural Gifts
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 05:00 PM PDT
Inuit Eskimo Soapstone Carvings as Corporate and Cultural Gifts
by Clint Leung One of the unique ways about Canadian organizations is their choice of corporate or cultural gifts. In many cases for both companies doing corporate business and political organizations conducting cultural affairs internationally is the use of Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings from the Canadian Arctic as gifts. This is especially true for gifts to foreign individuals, organizations or heads of state. In the world of commerce, Canadian corporations doing international business abroad have brought over Inuit soapstone carvings for their current or prospective foreign business partners. Asian and European companies have accepted Inuit soapstone carvings as corporate gifts with much delight since Inuit art is as exotic to them as Ferraris are to North Americans. Indeed, when doing business in Japan or in fast growing China, Canadian Inuit art will be a very useful tool for building long term business relationships. This is also true for making inroads in the developing European markets as well. Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings from the Canadian Arctic have been used as cultural gifts for many years. Foreign royalty, presidents and other diplomats have been given Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings as a token of Canadian culture. The recipient list has included quite a few American presidents as well. It is said that Prince Charles of the United Kingdom has been a huge fan of Inuit art ever since he received a soapstone carving as a gift many years ago. His interest has resulted in more awareness of Canadian Inuit art in the United Kingdom. Canadian academic and educational groups have gone abroad with Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings for their foreign counterparts too. Within Canada, Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings have been popular retirement gift items in recent years. Sometimes they have been awarded as prizes for high achievers like top sales people within companies. An Inuit Eskimo soapstone carving is definitely a nice alternative to the standard plaque or trophy award. If such artwork is very much appreciated by recipients in Canadian companies, just imagine how much more Inuit art would be appreciated in companies based outside Canada such as in the United States or Asia. A Canadian Inuit Eskimo soapstone carving will be regarded as an extra special prize. The use of Inuit Eskimo soapstone carvings in corporate and cultural gift giving today is a result of just how far Inuit art has come. It is evidence that this type of indigenous native art has made it to the fine art status that it deserves. About the Author: Clint Leung is owner of Free Spirit Gallery http://www.FreeSpiritGallery.ca , an online gallery specializing in Inuit Eskimo and Northwest Native American art including carvings, sculpture and prints. Free Spirit Gallery has numerous information resource articles with photos of authentic Inuit and Native Indian art as well as free eCards.
RSS Security
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:59 PM PDT
RSS Security Sharon Housley RSS is growing at a lightening speed. What was once only known as a "techie tool", RSS is becoming a tool that is continuously being used by the general population. Along with the good comes, the not so good. And while some have mentioned the emergence of RSS spam, where content publishers dynamically generate nonsensical feeds stuffed with keywords, the real concern relates to security. While an annoyance to the search engines, spam in RSS feeds pales in comparison to the possible security concerns that could be in RSS' future. Security Implications Related to RSS. As RSS gains momentum security fears loom large. As publishers are quickly finding innovative uses for RSS feeds, hackers are taking notice. The power and extendibility of RSS in its simplest form is also its achilles heel. The expansion capabilities of the RSS specification, specifically the "enclosure" field which has launched the podcasting phenomenon, is where the vulnerabilities lie. The enclosure field in itself is not the problem, in fact the majority of RSS feeds do not even use the enclosure tag. The enclosure tag is essentially used to link to file types, things like images, word documents, mp3 files, power point presentations, and executables and can be thought of in similar terms to email attachments. The fact that RSS can be used to distribute these file types has opened a myriad of doors to users of the syndication standard, but also has created cause for concern. Most people do not feel that the risk is significant because people "choose" the content that they receive, and while it might make the distribution of malware, viruses and spy applications via RSS less prevalent, their is still the inherent risk of a infected file being distributed. The problem is one of both technology and lack of education. The danger lies in the fact that many RSS readers, news aggregators, or pod-catchers automatically download the information contained in the enclosure field regardless of its file type or source. Most RSS developers acknowledge the risks associated with the enclosure field, but few have had the forethought to include filtering, screening or authentication capabilities and many automatically download enclosures. Nick Bradbury of Bradsoft/NewsGator seems to be proactive, designing FeedDemon with security in mind. FeedDemon uses an editable safelist of file types as well as allowing users to monitor what files are automatically downloaded. FeedDemon also contains hard-coded warnings related to specific file types. Developers of ByteScout took a different approach to the handling of enclosure files, ByteScout does not automatically download anything without user intervention for each download. Unfortunately, not all RSS readers, aggregators and podcatchers consider the possible security implications associated with RSS feeds and podcasts, some will automatically download enclosures without warning or any thoughts of security. Be sure to examine how your RSS reader handles files contained in the enclosure field of an RSS feed. With the increased use of RSS and podcasting, the security risks increase with it. Their is cause for concern, however proactive users and conscientious developers can easily subvert the risk by taking precautions seriously. Computer viruses and malware are cause for legitimate concern, there is ample time and action that can avert potential problems. About the Author: Sharon Housley manages marketing for FeedForAll http://www.feedforall.com software for creating, editing, publishing RSS feeds and podcasts. In addition Sharon manages marketing for FeedForDev http://www.feedfordev.com an RSS component for developers.
"How to End the Great Website Mystery and Turn Visitors into Buyers"
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:59 PM PDT
For leisure reading, I am an avid fan of detective stories.
But, like most website visitors, I like my mysteries between the covers of a book - not on the Internet. I'm not unique. Let's face it: today's website visitors bear little resemblance to Sherlock Holmes. They want to know whodunit as soon as they click on a page. They leave their deerstalker hats and magnifying glasses behind. And there's no way they'll wait for the final tableau when the Great Detective reveals the killer's (or seller's) identity. Visiting some websites last week, I found myself following a trail of clues to sign up for ezines, order products or even discover what the website sells. Here's what I wanted to say to their designers: 1. Begin your website with a promise of benefits. Some consultants encourage headlines that refer to "struggle." I tend to favor this approach myself, as in, "Have you been struggling to write just one tiny ebook to generate passive income?" But you can open with a promise that makes your visitors eager to get rewards. "Wouldn't it be great to eat healthy food that doesn't taste like sawdust?" 2. Tell visitors how you'll deliver those benefits - and don't wait too long. Coaching? Bath oil? Membership with unlimited access to resources? One site promises "home fitness." I expected to find those little sit-up machines you see advertised on television. As someone addicted to gyms, I'm definitely not interested. But that site *really* offers video programs for yoga and pilates. And I might be very interested, since I rarely have time to attend scheduled classes. They lost me before I could make a wise buying decision. 3. Make your ezine subscription form easy to find on your home page - and make it big! One site offers a fr^e ezine subscriptions in the upper left corner, where it belongs. Nice bold type, contrasting colors. And sure enough, the designer included a form for visitors to complete. But on closer inspection, the form was actually a log-in to a membership site. To subscribe, you have to search for a very small link. Then you get directed to a new page. Who's more motivated to find the body - hunt around for what they want? A first-time visitor who's making an impulsive decision to subscribe? Or a member who's paid to get access to your secret resources? 4. Make impulse purchasing easy. It's no accident that supermarkets place candy and discounted gourmet cookies at the checkout counter - so easy to toss on the conveyor belt while you're waiting for the person ahead of you to check out 44 cans of kitty feast cat food (which is what you're likely to see in my neighborhood). Make it easy for visitors to subscribe to your e-zines and eventually buy from you. Even those dreaded pop-ups will tempt visitors to say, "Oh, why not - this looks really interesting. As long as I'm here..." 5. Let visitors know what they're buying. One website offers an information product for a very reasonable price. The title of the product intrigued me, so I clicked on the "more information" link, which led me to - an order form! Why would I spend even $25 or $49 for a product when I had no idea what was included? Not even a table of contents or list of topics! Reminds me of those legends about mailing campaigns to "Send me $5." Caution: Before you say, "I would never do this," be aware that these traps foil even experienced marketers. Just last week, I got so enthused about my "fast food" metaphor for my new Special Mini-Reports series that I never got around to explain what was on the menu! I had to go back to add a line about "Reports" and "downloadable." Best cure? Find a marketing-savvy friend to review your pages or hire a copywriter for a critique. *********************************************** Cathy Goodwin, Ph.D., works with small biz owners and solo professionals who want to grow their business with hype-free marketing. Fr^e Report: 5C's of client-attracting copy http://www.makewritingpay.com/subscribe.html Mini-Reports: http://www.cathygoodwin.com/reports.html
Motivation by Numbers
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:59 PM PDT
Motivation by Numbers by Peter Murphy Want a quick and easy way to beat that feeling of lethargy that stops you from getting things done? Here's what to do in three easy steps... 1. Decide you are ready to beat the apathy that is holding you back. Sometimes we claim we want to change when we are really just making small talk, it takes a little more effort than that to move from apathy to enduring self-motivation. Until you get serious about breaking out of a rut it is all too easy to keep on doing the same old thing. Once you decide you have had enough you then have sufficient momentum for a breakthrough to lasting motivation. 2. Translate your goal into numbers Any large or complex goal can become overwhelming when we fail to break it down into small highly measurable component parts. The secret is to take back control by structuring the goal as a sequence of specific tasks. The best way to do this is to work with numbers because it is then impossible to fail as long as we take it one step at a time. We can easily see what needs to be done, what we have already achieved and what remains to be done. For example, writing an important report might be expressed in terms of condensing 20 pages of notes, writing 6,000 words, analyzing 5 new trends or discussing 7 key issues. 3 View the entire project on one sheet of paper when you can see all the elements of the project at once you will be crystal clear about what needs to be done. And as you complete each step and tick off each mini success you will find the resulting momentum keeps you on track. As you measure and track your results it soon becomes a game to beat your personal best. And that's when work becomes play! Remember, whatever you measure you can improve! Motivation by numbers is a sure fire way to stay motivated until you achieve a goal as well as a fun way to track progress and keep improving. Quit making it so hard to get things done. Translate all those goals that make you feel apathetic into a game to beat the numbers. How quickly can you get 5 done? How well can you do the first 3? You get the idea. Now, go and turn that task you are procrastinating on into numbers! Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.12 of 12 - Spinach and Mushroom Pancakes
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:58 PM PDT
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.12 of 12 - Spinach and Mushroom
Pancakes Christmas recipe serves: 4 calories per serving: 375 preparation time: 1 hour plus standing & soaking cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes suitable for freezing (pancakes only) Christmas recipe ingredients: white flour, plain 50 g (2 oz) wholemeal flour, plain 50 g (2 oz) egg, 1 milk, skimmed 350 ml (12 fl oz) salt and pepper vegetable stock, 300 ml (10 fl oz) mushrooms, dried 25 g (1 oz) oil, vegetable 30 ml (2 tbsp) spinach, fresh washed 450 g (1 lb) or spinach, frozen leaf 350 g (12 oz) soft cheese, reduced fat 225 g (8 oz) mushrooms, brown cap 450 g (1 lb) spring onions, 1 bunch garnish, flat-leaf parsley Christmas recipe instructions: 1. Use a food processor for the batter so mix the egg, a pinch of salt, milk and both flours. Then stand for 30 minutes. Soak the dried mushrooms and stock for 30 minutes. 2. Coat the base of a non-stick pan with some batter after heating oil in it. Cook until golden brown (usually a couple of minutes), then cook the other side for about 30 seconds. Repeat with the rest of the batter till you have about a dozen or so pancakes. 3. Cook the spinach for a few minutes before allowing to cool, removing the liquid and cutting up. Add the soft cheese and salt and pepper to taste. 4. Cook the chopped onions and brown-cap mushrooms in 15 ml (1 tbsp) of hot oil until light brown in color. Add the stock and mushrooms, and seasoning, then simmer for about 20 minutes or until the mixture is syrup like. 5. Take half of this mixture, make smooth in a processor, then return to the pan. 6. Take the spinach mixture from step 3 and put in an oiled ovenproof dish. Then layer half a dozen pancakes with the mushroom mixture in between along with the remaining spinach mixture. End with the mushroom layer. 7. Cook until weel browned at gas mark 6 (200 degrees centigrade, 400 F) for about 30 minutes. 8. Serve with flat-leaf parsley garnish. -------------------------------------------------- (c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at http://www.gifts-for-christmas.com , bringing you recipes and unique gifts for christmas including their collectibles and russian gifts stores. --------------------------------------------------
"Negotiating - The Myths and Realities"
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:58 PM PDT
We have all been there at some stage in our business lives - the dreaded negotiation with your most awkward client. He regularly screws you to the floor each year on price and everything else you have to offer! Pretty quickly you see every negotiation as a battle and all your self confidence goes. There are a lot of myths surrounding negotiating which don't help if you are faced with handling such a session for the first time. But as with any myth, there is usually a very different reality. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: It can be a daunting ordeal ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ You mention to your trusted partner or member of staff that you are off to negotiate next year's big contract. What do they say? "Good luck!" The majority of people think that negotiating is a dirty and tough task, a necessary evil. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: Not if you plan ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ As with all things in life, we fear the unknown, especially if we are unprepared. The reality of negotiating is that with adequate preparation comes confidence. Before your meeting sit down and ask yourself the following questions: 1. what do you want out of this negotiation? 2. what is your lowest, acceptable and best price? 3. what are you prepared to 'give away' if necessary? 4. what do you know about the other company's position in the deal? 5. if you don't know much, what questions can you ask to improve your understanding? Thorough preparation is a great confidence booster. See the negotiation as a presentation and plan your approach and questions before hand. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: Negotiators are born ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ There is such a mystic surrounding negotiation and the skills needed to be good at it, that most people think you either have it at birth or you don't! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: Negotiators can be made ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Like any skill in business, negotiation skills can be learnt and put into practice. There are lots of books, tapes and seminars you can attend on this subject. Negotiation is a structured process and once you understand how it all works the task becomes easier. But as with any new skill you have to practice, practice, practice and this is where most people fall down. Having acquired a new skill you have put in the training but it can be done! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: To strike a deal you have to concede on price ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The perception is that many negotiations end up with one of the parties always having to concede on price just to secure the deal. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: There are other items you can concede on ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The reality in any negotiation is that price is not always the deciding factor. There is usually something else that the other party wants in addition to, or instead of, a lower price. It could be that they need the product or service quickly and may be prepared to pay a premium for a fast delivery. They may want the product changed slightly to meet their specifications. They may like some on-site support for implementation. In your research and questioning it's up to you to find out what they really want. Dig deep and find it because every part of the deal is negotiable, not just the price. Once you have hit upon it, before conceding on price, throw it into the pot. Remember, this could be something which means very little to you but a lot to them. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: If their first offer is what you want, say yes ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ After your sales pitch your client comes back and immediately offers exactly what you wanted. Wow, what a great outcome! He's got what he wants and so do you. Deal done! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: Always counter the first offer ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you accept immediately there are two problems: 1. your customer will think he has had a bad deal, "He accepted straight away! I could have had a much better deal. I'm sure I went in too high." With these thoughts going through his mind he won't feel totally happy with the deal and the chance of cancellation or no future business is higher 2. it's likely that this your customer's opening bid. Opening bids are usually on the low side and used as a starting point. Accepting now, even if it's what you were looking for, could mean you throwing away a higher price There are instances where the customer will say "I don't negotiate. This is the price I'm prepared to pay." He has set the rules, so as long as you are happy with the price, go for it! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: Negotiating is a competition with only one winner ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ If you have a competitive streak this is how you will see a negotiation - something to win or lose. Non-competitive people who believe this myth automatically lower their defences and quickly cave in to the 'stronger' player. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: There should be two winners ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Negotiation is not a competition. The ideal outcome should be win-win, where both sides feel they achieved something out of the whole process - one got a sale at a price he wanted and the other got a purchase at a price he wanted. Win-win outcomes leave the door open for building strong relationships which will lead to more business in the future. Win-lose outcomes mean that one side will be reluctant to deal again. If, by your very nature, you are a competitive person, temper this and accept the reality that the negotiation process has to have two winners, not just you! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Myth: If you walk away, that's it ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ You have found the perfect product but you don't get the price or deal you are looking for. However, you are afraid about loosing the opportunity so you decide to go for it anyway, at any price. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Reality: Opportunities often come around again ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Accepting a deal through fear is not a position you want to be in. You will always have a nagging doubt that you paid too much or gave away something which you should not have. Be strong enough to walk away from a deal if it's not what you are after. You have to learn to detach yourself from the underlying deal and avoid getting emotionally involved with the product or service. Just concentrate on getting the best result. Being emotionally detached means you can walk away with no doubts. You may find that a few days later the seller will be back banging on your door with another offer. Remember that opportunities always pop up and walking away is not a failure! So take a fresh look at negotiating. Are you clinging onto old myths about how negotiating should be done? Accept that the reality can be very different! =========================================== Robert Warlow is the author of the e-books 'How To Market Your Small Business For Next to Nothing' and 'The Secrets of Writing a Killer Business Plan'. Buy them at... http://www.bookshaker.com =========================================== Keywords: negotiation tactics, negotiation, negotiation myths, small business, market your small business, self-employed, self employed, killer business plan, write business plan
Pizza Talk, Pizza Delivery Costs too high? Fuel your delivery car for Free.
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:58 PM PDT
Pizza Talk, Pizza Delivery Costs too high? Fuel your delivery car for Free Rudy Vener Yesterday we had a rude shock. We had to pay $50 to fill up our gas tank. Based on this alone, we canceled a trip we were thinking of taking. We were lucky to have the option. If you are in the pizza business and regularly deliver, you might not be so lucky. Delivery might be such an ingrained part of your business that it could drastically impact your sales if you simply stop delivering or cut back. With gas prices so high, the cost of gas used to deliver a pizza is becoming a major factor. But now there is something you can do about it. What's the solution? Convert a diesel car or van to run on cooking oil and fuel it with the waste cooking oil from your restaurant. Don't laugh. At least one pizza operator is doing just that. A recent news article describes how Keith Dalton of Cosmic Pizza, Morgantown, West Virginia converted his diesel truck to run on waste cooking oil from his restaurant. Dalton claims to get 50 miles per gallon from cooking oil. Don't start pouring your waste oil into your diesel car's fuel tank just yet though. You will need to buy a conversion kit for your vehicle for it to work properly. Why a conversion kit? Because cooking oil needs to be heated to 150 degrees F in order to reduce its viscosity and let it flow through the fuel system correctly. Your waste oil also needs to be filtered to remove the crud that gets mixed into it with cooking. Luckily you can purchase a conversion kit for your vehicle that handles these technical details. There are now several sources of diesel to cooking oil conversion kits on the market. The two basic systems are two tank kits and single tank kits. Two tank systems let you switch back and forth between diesel and cooking oil while single tank kits let you run exclusively on cooking oil. To convert your car, van or truck you need to buy the kit that is specific for your vehicle. There are several companies providing these kits. The kits typically cost about $790 and can be installed by someone who is fairly handy and not afraid of getting their hands dirty. Here are three sources of kits just to get you started: GreaseCar Vegetable Fuel Systems, online at www.greasecar.com, phone (413) 529-0013. Greasel Conversions, Inc. online at www.greasel.com, phone (866) 473-2735 Elsbett, online at www.elsbett.de/engl/ These companies' web sites also provide detailed instructions on how to collect and store the waste oil to ensure it is free from water and bacterial contamination. If you have been paying to have your waste oil hauled away, you will be seeing even more benefits as you save on this expense. What better way to get rid of your waste oil than to power your delivery vehicles with it? Another benefit of this conversion is that the vehicle will not smell of diesel or petroleum. Drivers of waste oil powered cars report that their vehicles smell of tacos, fried chicken or Chinese food. Think how many sales you are going to get when you drive a delivery vehicle that exudes the aroma of pizza from its exhaust. With only a little effort you can recoup your investment in the conversion in under a year and from then on it is money in your pocket. And finally, there is the community good will that results from driving an environmentally friendly vehicle. Drivers of cooking oil powered vehicles have taken their cars into EPA test facilities out of curiosity to see what the emissions were. They learned that they are far lower than for standard diesel fuels. It may be time for you to seriously consider converting your diesel vehicle to run on cooking oil. At a time when gasoline prices are forcing other restaurants to hike delivery charges and raise prices, this is one way that you can save on both fuel and waste disposal costs while demonstrating to your community that your business is environmentally friendly. About the author: Rudy Vener is founder and president of Pizza Galaxy, which specializes in online ordering and Internet marketing for independent pizza shops and restaurants. Visit http://www.pizzagalaxy.com to read more Pizza Talk articles or to contact the author.
Is Teak Wood Outdoor furniture right for me?
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:57 PM PDT
Is Teak Wood Outdoor furniture right for me? You are contemplating your first purchase of Teak Furniture and you are wondering if you making the right decision? Well, you are and in this quick article, I will explain why I believe that. If you already use Teak Wood in some of your favorite outdoor furniture, then this article will just be fun information for you to know and share with your friends when they ask you, "why did you buy Teak Wood" versus ?????. It is no surprise, or it should not be, that Teak Wood has been the favored wood for generations. The secrets of this wood are out and they have been for a long, long time. First, a little history lesson: (you will love this part) It is not a well known fact, but is has been written that the Chinese have been renowned sailors for generations. Many of their ships were built and designed to not only sail in the oceans, but also to move up river. Much of the trade then, was done several thousand miles up river and not out in the ocean. These ships needed to be versatile, durable, and tough. The wood used to build these early Chinese ships was Teak. It is also said that the Chinese shipbuilders would bury the wood logs in moist soil for years prior to building their ships. This made the wood much stronger and impervious to anything that could be encountered on the high seas,including enemies. Why was this important? It was important because approx. 600 years ago the Chinese were set out on a task by the Chinese Ming dynasty to sail to the edge of the world. Apparently they circumnavigated the world several times. But this is going off to another subject. Let's get back to the subject at hand (I'll bet you didn't know that you would actually be learning something too?). Later in years, British naval ships were made from Oak, also a very hard and durable wood. The British encountered two problems with oak: Wood Worms and a lack of Oak trees. Woodworms were destroying the ships in the British Naval Fleet. Woodworms were the scourge of wooden ships throughout history. It could take 850 oak logs to repair one ship. It took a little over 2000 oak logs just to build one ship. The British needed ships as they continued for some time to have maritime issues with the French. and to be able to go on to conquer and take control of British colonies. The British naval fleet was their primary means to accomplish this. The Oak supply in Europe was being quickly depleted. They knew about the Teak wood used on the Chinese ships and how rugged they were after having run into them, literally in the shipping lanes. The British had learned how impervious these ships were to all of the elements at sea: Saltwater, ocean wind, and the blistering sun. It was also learned then that Teak was found to not to splinter when hit by gunfire or artillery fire. This was a very important issue as splintering wood was the chief cause of casualties among naval warfare in the eighteenth century. Britain was very interested to grow and produce this wood. The British quickly realized they did not need to grow Teak Wood as they could annex those countries where the Teak wood was grown and have a plentiful supply. India, Thailand and Burma were quickly annexed into the British empire. It is not to say this is why the British took over these areas, but it certainly helped to give reason. Myanmar (formerly Burma), which is just south of India, and Yangoon became the first places where Teak was being harvested for British ships. Calcutta was set up as another British shipbuilding site. All of the British merchant ships built in Calcutta were built with Myanmar Teak logs which were said to be the best. Once the wood was depleted from India, logs were harvested from Thailand and Burma. Teak forests were quickly being depleted. Teak was now the preferred wood used for building ships, Yachts, Ocean liners and furniture. Under ocean conditions, the wood had very little shrinkage or warpage. This meant little maintenance. The wood was also impervious to wood rot and insects, like the mighty woodworm. The famous Ocean liner "Queen Mary" used no less than 1000 tons of teak when built. The British quickly realized the depletion that was taking place and developed a re-forestation plan. They appointed a leader to head this new bureau and began replanting Teak trees on what are now called Teak "plantations". A set of very strict laws were enacted regarding who can cut Teak Wood and who can purchase it. Once these laws were set in place, one needed to have permission from the British Government to be able to cut a Teak Tree down and or export it. Teak was also being used by the locals for huts, fence posts, and furniture. India is the third largest importer of Teak today, behind China and Japan. As much as 80% of India's timber consumption is Teak. The wood is used in India today for local consumption; building homes, furniture, fencing, etc. It is the one wood that can withstand the monsoons, the blistering heat and the humidity. It is the wood that all other timber species are compared to. Teak Wood contains natural oil and Silica (sand) which makes it impervious to insects, and wood rot. These substances also help it to maintain it luster for many, many years, but make it a little more difficult for the manufactures as their blades tend to dull sooner. When many of the English ships of WWII were taken apart for salvage, the Teak Wood decks were re-manufactured into outdoor furniture like park benches. Even today they can be seen in many parts of Europe still functioning. Most of the Teak grown today is grown on Plantations that are governed by the local governments. The demand for Teak is growing at an estimated 10% per year. Teak is a heavily regulated (and rightfully so) commodity, and is sold through the auction process. Teak is not very easy to get. There are regulatory permits that must be purchased and other expenses that go along with regulation. For example, once purchased, it is usually the purchasing companies' responsibility to provide transportation if the wood is to be exported and certain countries have regulations on how many logs can be exported. Currently, Java, Indonesia is the largest exporter of Teak. There are several companies that are located in Java that will process and fashion the Teak into furniture, or planks for flooring or siding, and then export the finished item or semi finished item to countries around the world. Teak grows very rapidly but still takes approx. 50 years to mature. Many countries are reviewing the possible rotation after 30 or 40 years. This is mainly due to the large demand for Teak. The consensus with this rotation is that the wood will not be inferior at that rate. There are some countries that are trying tree rotation after only 25 years. The results are timber that is smaller in diameter, color, and grain. So, when add it all up, you get a much better understanding not only of what the hype about Teak Wood is all about, but the numerous qualities of Teak Wood and the supply and demand side of Teak Wood. Many people for generations have been enjoying the warm benefits of owning Teak Wood products. Outdoor Teak Wood furniture is a Standard for many families and in many gardens, terraces, patios, verandas, ships, and yachts around the world. If you are investing in outdoor furniture, you really owe it to yourself to step into the world of Teak. Resource Box: Michael Ochoa operates Macs Teak Furniture website at http://www.macs-teakfurniture.com. This website specializes in sales of a unique selection of quality Teak outdoor patio furniture and provides free shipping anywhere in the United States. Send Mike an e mail. Mailto:Mike@Macs-Teakfurniture.com and let him know how much you enjoyed his informative article on Teak Patio Furniture.
Test Your Headlines For Maximum Profits
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:57 PM PDT
Test Your Headlines For Maximum Profits
Professional copywriters do not simply write or select one headline and then hope for the best. They create a number of different headlines; often times as many as a hundred before selecting the headline they think will perform the best. But they don't stop there! Professional copywriters know that their choice will often not be the choice of the public and therefore they test their headlines in the market place. Believe it or not, even professional copywriters find that half or more of their ads, sales letters, or campaigns fail to become winners. But, by testing, they are able to cut their losses early and maximize their successes. The method of testing most commonly used is known as split testing. With headlines, split testing involves the exposing of two different alternating headlines to prospects. This can be done both online and offline, but online is much easier and the testing process is quicker. Here is the way headline split testing works online. Visitor A comes to your website and sees headline #1 while visitor B comes to your website and sees headline # 2. When visitor C comes to your website, headline # 1 is shown again and the alternating process continues for the length of the test. After a number of actions have been recorded for each headline, such as clicking through to the order page, the results are compared to determine which headline resulted in the largest number of desired responses (the click through to the order page, in this example). The larger the number of total responses recorded, the greater the accuracy of the test to determine the headline winner. Once a winner is chosen, that headline becomes the new control. A control is the current best performing item being tested, in this case, a headline. Now that a control has been established, a new headline is tested against the control to see if the response can be improved. This process continues on until a given headline has been the control for a large number of tests. Initially the two headlines that are being tested can be quite different. What you are looking for in the early test is what general kind of headline seems to work for the target market. Once a general kind of headline appears to be a winner over competing types of headlines, then you begin to tweak and split variations of the winning headline itself. Let's take a look at an example. This headline example comes from Jimmy D. Brown, a very successful Internet marketer. The following two headlines were split tested to determine a winner. Headline # 1: "The Power of Viral eBooks" Headline # 2: "How to Create Automated Profit Generators" The Result? Headline # 2 out pulled headline # 1 by multiple times. Now to simplify this process, let's assume for the sake of this example that Headline # 2 proved to be the winner, not only of this test, but a number of follow on test against a number of other headlines. So, you have determined the type of headline that seems to work well for your particular target market. Now, it is time to tweak the headline by split testing variations of this particular headline. When you split test variations of a headline, you want to only change one thing at a time. Perhaps you will change only one word in the headline, or the color of the headline, or the using of quote marks around the headline, etc. But you only test one item at a time. Each item you test is called a variable; it is the thing that varies between the headlines in the test. Everything in the headline can make a difference in the headline response rate. Things that make a difference in response are called response modifiers. In addition to the items mentioned above, other response modifiers in a headline might include the font used, the size of the font, the capitalization of the first letters of each word, etc. Everything in your headline can and should be tested. For an example of how a very minor change can make a difference in your headline response, take a look at these two headlines: Headline # 1: "Put Music In Your Life" Headline # 2: "Puts Music In Your Life" The only difference between the headlines is the addition of the letter "s" to the first word. Again the second headline greatly out pulled the first headline. Some copywriters assume that this is because the first headline implies some work on the part of the reader, while the second headline implies that something or someone else does the work. But the reason is not important, only the results matter. Each tweak of your headline that results in a new control improves the desired response rate of your headline leading to a maximization of profits, if your headline involves the selling of a product or service. You can never know for sure why one headline out pulls another, but while you can guess, the reason is not important. What is important is the results, no matter what the reason. Jim and Audri Lanford of www.netrageous.com, now www.scambusters.org, once made a change of color to a sub headline on one of their online sales pages and orders almost dropped to zero. When they changed the headline color back, their normal order rate returned. They guessed that this was because the color change may have caused the headline to look more like hype, but as noted above, the reason is not important. What are important are the results. Are you testing your headlines? If not, you should be. Every little positive change continues to increase your profits and it all adds up in the end. While some changes may only increase your desired response by a fraction of one percent, some people have seen changes of as much as 1,500% with a single headline change while the rest of their copy remained the same. How would you like to see either a single or cumulative improvement over time of 1,500% in your desired response rate? I thought so! Then go forth and test, test, and test some more! About the Author: George Dodge is owner of the http://www.Headline-Creator-Pro.com website where you can download software that saves you time and effort by allowing you to quickly and easily create headlines with push button ease. While there be sure to subscribe to his Weekly Headline Tips - you'll be glad you did.
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.10 of 12 - Lamb with Chestnut and Tomato Reli
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:57 PM PDT
Christmas Recipes: Main Dishes. No.10 of 12 - Lamb with Chestnut and Tomato Relish serves: 6 calories per serving: 450 preparation time: 15 minutes cooking time: 20 minutes not suitable for freezing Christmas recipe ingredients: chestnuts, peeled cooked, 175 g (6 oz) tomatoes, cherry 75 g (3 oz) bacon, rindless streaky, 175 g (6 oz) lamb, 3 racks trimmed, 900 g (2 lb) garlic, 3 cloves pepper olive oil, 100 ml (4 fl oz) parsley, finely chopped fresh, 60 ml (4 tbsp) caster sugar, 10 ml (2 tsp) balsamic vinegar, 30 ml (2 tbsp) garnish, flat leaf parsley Christmas recipe instructions: 1. Rub the lamb with garlic and finely coat with pepper. Cut the tomatoes in half and the chestnuts into rough pieces. 2. Cook the lamb racks, having placed the bacon on top, at gas mark 9 (240 degrees centigrade, 475 F) for about 20 minutes or for about 30 minutes for well done. 3. For the relish; mix balsamic vinegar, sugar, parsley and the remaining garlic (peeled and crushed) with the olive oil. Then add the cherry tomatoes and chestnuts. 4. To complete the relish add the liquid from step 2 to the step 4 product. 5. Serve the lamb in six pieces wity the relish, garnished with parsley. -------------------------------------------------- (c) Paul Curran, CEO of Cuzcom Internet Publishing Group and webmaster at http://www.gifts-for-christmas.com, bringing you recipes and unique gifts for christmas including their collectibles and russian gifts stores. --------------------------------------------------
Are You Ready To Find Faith
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:56 PM PDT
Are You Ready To Find Faith?
Are you ready to get closer to God? Are you ready to start listening to his words of wisdom? Are you ready to discover the magic of faith? If you are like me there have been periods in your life when you wished you had more faith to help you cope with the troubles of our time. It doesn't matter whether you have personal problems to overcome or are worried about acts of terrorism or natural disasters; we all need to find more faith. Sometimes it takes a little fantasy to help us believe in what we cannot see or understand, that's where the magic comes in. Sometimes it takes more effort to accomplish an impossible dream, that's where faith comes in. I believe you will find it is only natural for you to want to have more faith. We are all predisposed to want to have more faith. It's a hidden gene that God instilled us with from the beginning of mankind. Don't you want to do what comes naturally? Don't you want to feel better about yourself? Don't you want to become a Person of Faith? When you start to believe that you are a good and worthwhile person, you will come to realize that you are entitled to be a Person of Faith. You will begin to understand that it is preordained. You will find peace of mind. You will begin to feel wonderful. In order to find more faith so that you can cope with the troubles of our time, you need to strip away your inhibitions and start to use your imagination. Can you imagine how wonderful you will feel when you become a Person of Faith? Can you imagine the state of euphoria you will experience when you discover that you are a good and worthwhile person? It may seem like a miracle, but it will only be you finding your faith. Are you ready to start feeling good about yourself? Are you ready to experience the joy of having peace of mind? Are you ready to get closer to God? You may be asking yourself why would God be interested in me? You may be wondering if he will hear your prayers. God is always listening and offering us his Grace. We just have to have enough faith to learn how to listen for his words of kindness and caring. Can you open your heart to God? Are you ready to become a Person of Faith? Are you ready to start using your imagination? Are you ready to strip away your inhibitions? Are you ready to start listening for the words of God? Are you ready to have God hear your prayers? Hurry, God may be waiting to hear from you! ********* Arthur Levine, Faith Builder Imaginest, is the author of The Magic of Faith. For more information about how to find your faith access: http://www.faith-patch.com/stp/findgod
Get Rid of Allergies and Get Healthier Lungs this Fall Season!
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:56 PM PDT
Get Rid of Allergies and Get Healthier Lungs this Fall Season! Ah the time of year again where the leaves change color, the air gets cooler, and the winter season is just a few weeks away. If you just read this and see these things happening outside then obviously you don't live in Southern California. Out here the leaves stay the same, the days get hotter and the Santa Ana winds return. We have seen this just recently and have seen the horrible affects of the wind with the recent wildfires, but what maybe isn't seen to everyone but felt by a lot is the toll this wind, heat and lack of humidity is doing to people's allergies and lungs. Most of us either have or know people who have been coughing, sneezing, stuffy, constantly trying to relieve their dry throat, having more and more asthma attacks and just generally feeling pretty miserable. It's no fun to be feeling this way, and we can expect just more of these days to come, but what can we do to help alleviate the symptoms and possibly prevent them? Now all you people who aren't in Southern California don't stop reading, these tips are great for anyone suffering from similar symptoms; hopefully they will relieve your allergies and make for better breathing and healthier lungs. - First of all take care of any problems you may have indoors in your home. - Replace sheets and pillow cases with those that help to prevent dust mites from escaping the bedding and wash these beddings weekly in hot water. - Make sure and keep your rooms free from clutter and vacuum and dust regularly. - Try to avoid going outside during high pollen count or very windy days; most weather reports now include a pollen count that can be a good guide to when you should avoid outside air as much as you can. - Especially avoid exercise during these days, replace your routine with things that you can do in your home. - Make sure and keep your windows closed during these days, don't want to bring inside the air we are avoiding outside. - Use saline eye and nose drops to keep your eyes and nose moist during days of very low humidity, drink plenty of water and if needed use over the counter antihistamines or decongestants. Following these tips can dramatically help relieve your allergies and help you to have a healthy and happy fall season. ---------- About the Author: Garrett Stults is an expert and author in the field of allergies, asthma and the pulmonary system. He is also an asthma sufferer as well and the webmaster of http://www.naturalremedymarket.com a website dedicated to natural remedies and treatments for allergies, asthma, bronchitis, smoking and other lung related conditions.
A Medium or a Message? (Part III )
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:56 PM PDT
Internet - A Medium or a Message? (Part III ) By Sam Vaknin Author of "Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited" These essays were published by the Israeli (Hebrew) edition of PC Magazine back in 1996, when the Internet was in its formative epoch. I have left them essentially unchanged, except for a few minor errata I corrected. I find time travel fascinating. It is interesting to recall the mainstream view, ten years ago, about the Internet, its goals, its role, and its future. So, here goes: Communications Most computer owners still possess a 28,800 bps modem. This is much like driving a bicycle on a German Autobahn. The 56,600 bps is gradually replacing its slower predecessor (48% of computers with modems) - but even this is hardly sufficient. To begin to enjoy video and audio (especially the former) - data transfer rates need to be 50 times faster. Half the households in the USA have at least 2 telephones and one of them is usually dedicated to data processing (faxes or fax-modems). The ISDN could constitute the mid-term solution. This data transfer network is fairly speedy and covers 70% of the territory of the USA. It is growing by 100% annually and its sales topped 10 billion USD in 1995/6. Unfortunately, it is quite clear that ISDN is not THE answer. It is too slow, too user-unfriendly, has a bad interface with other network types, it requires special hardware. There is no point in investing in temporary solutions when the right solution is staring the Internet in the face, though it is not implemented due to political circumstances. A cable modem is 80 times speedier than the ISDN and 700 times faster than a 14,400 bps modem. However, it does have problems in accommodating a two-way data transfer. There is also need to connect the fibre optic infrastructure which characterizes cable companies to the old copper coaxial infrastructure which characterizes telephony. Cable users engage specially customized LANs (Ethernet) and the hardware is expensive (though equipment prices are forecast to collapse as demand increases). Cable companies simply did not invest in developing the technology. The law (prior to the 1996 Communications Act) forbade them to do anything that was not one way transfer of video via cables. Now, with the more liberal regulative environment, it is a mere question of time until the technology is found. Actually, most consumers single out bad customer relations as their biggest problem with the cable companies - rather than technology. Experiments conducted with cable modems led to a doubling of usage time (from an average of 24 to 47 hours per month per user) which was wholly attributable to the increased speed. This comes close to a cultural revolution in the allocation of leisure time. Numerically speaking: 7 million households in the USA are fitted with a two-way data transfer cable modems. This is a small number and it is anyone's guess if it constitutes a critical mass. Sales of such modems amount to 1.3 billion USD annually. 50% of all cable subscribers also have a PC at home. To me it seems that the merging of the two technologies is inevitable. Other technological solutions - such as DSL, ADSL, and the more promising satellite broadband - are being developed and implemented, albeit slowly and inefficiently. Coverage is sporadic and frustrating waiting periods are measured in months. Hardware and Software Most Internet users (82%) work with the Windows operating system. About 11% own a Macintosh (much stronger graphically and more user- friendly). Only 7% continue to work on UNIX based systems (which, historically, fathered the Internet) - and this number is fast declining. A strong entrant is the free source LINUX operating system. Virtually all users surf through a browsing software. A fast dwindling minority (26%) use Netscape's products (mainly Navigator and Communicator) and the majority use Microsoft's Explorer (more than 60% of the market). Browsers are now free products and can be downloaded from the Internet. As late as 1997, it was predicted by major Internet consultancy firms that browser sales will top $4 billion by the year 2000. Such misguided predictions ignored the basic ethos of the Internet: free products, free content, free access. Browsers are in for a great transformation. Most of them are likely to have 3-D, advanced audio, telephony / voice / video mail (v- mail), instant messaging, e-mail, and video conferencing capabilities integrated into the same browsing session. They will become self-customizing, intelligent, Internet interfaces. They will memorize the history of usage and user preferences and adapt themselves accordingly. They will allow content-specificity: unidentifiable smart agents will scour the Internet, make recommendations, compare prices, order goods and services and customize contents in line with self-adjusting user profiles. Two important technological developments must be considered: PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) - the ultimate personal (and office) communicators, easy to carry, they provide Internet (access) Everywhere, independent of suppliers and providers and of physical infrastructure (in an aeroplane, in the field, in a cinema). The second trend: wireless data transfer and wireless e-mail, whether through pagers, cellular phones, or through more sophisticated apparatus and hybrids such as smart phones. Geotech's products are an excellent example: e-mail, faxes, telephone calls and a connection to the Internet and to other, public and corporate, or proprietary, databases - all provided by the same gadget. This is the embodiment of the electronic, physically detached, office. Wearable computing should be considered a part of this "ubiquitous or pervasive computing" wave. We have no way of gauging - or intelligently guessing - the part of the mobile Internet in the total future Internet market but it is likely to outweigh the "fixed" part. Wireless internet meshes well with the trend of pervasive computing and the intelligent home and office. Household gadgets such as microwave ovens, refrigerators and so on will connect to the internet via a wireless interface to cull data, download information, order goods and services, report their condition and perform basic maintenance functions. Location specific services (navigation, shopping recommendations, special discounts, deals and sales, emergency services) depend on the technological confluence between GPS (stallite-based geolocation technology) and wireless Internet. Sam Vaknin ( http://samvak.tripod.com ) is the author of Malignant Self Love - Narcissism Revisited and After the Rain - How the West Lost the East. He served as a columnist for Global Politician, Central Europe Review, PopMatters, Bellaonline, and eBookWeb, a United Press International (UPI) Senior Business Correspondent, and the editor of mental health and Central East Europe categories in The Open Directory and Suite101. Until recently, he served as the Economic Advisor to the Government of Macedonia. Visit Sam's Web site at http://samvak.tripod.com
11 Tips For Beautiful Bridal Hair
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:55 PM PDT
1. Be true to yourself Don't choose a hairstyle that makes you feel not yourself. Brides often get pressured into certain styles because of "tradition". If a particular style makes you feel uneasy, don't choose it. It does not matter that your mother, best friend or hairstylist like it - what really matters is YOU. 2. Develop a clear idea Before going to the stylist, try to develop a good idea of what type of hairstyle you would like. Cut out the pictures of your favorite hairstyles from magazines and bring them to the stylist. If you can't find any pictures, be prepared to describe exactly what you want. 3. Do a practice run Try out the hairstyle in advance, before your wedding day. Schedule the "practice run" with your stylist. If the hairstyle that you envisioned does not look as good on you as you had hoped, you'll be glad you found that out before the big day! 4. Is it comfortable? Walk around with this hairstyle for several hours to make sure it's comfortable. The last thing you would want is to have hair pins hurting you and ruining your fun. 5. Take pictures At the "practice run", bring a Polaroid or digital camera to take instant pictures. Ask the stylist to take pictures from the back and other angles. The pictures will give you a better idea how the style would look to others (as opposed to just looking in the mirror). 6. Does it hold up? Make sure your hair style does not get completely messed up several hours later. Try moving around and see if the hair stays put. You would not want a hair disaster during the first dance! 7. Matching with your dress Your hair style should go well with your wedding dress and headpiece. Classic dresses go best with classic hairstyles. Non-traditional dresses might look odd with the formal updos. Buy the dress before you select a hairstyle. Bring your headpiece and the picture of your dress to the stylist, so the stylist can evaluate whether it's a good match. 8. Watch out for chemicals Don't have any coloring or chemical treatments done right before the wedding - these can go wrong, and there won't be time to fix them! Do them several weeks in advance. 9. Stay consistent Don't make drastic changes. Your wedding day is not the time to color your hair in a completely different color or cut off long locks. After all, you would still want people to recognize you at your own wedding! 10. Beware of the height effect Be aware that updos will make you look taller. Depending on your situation, it might work for you or against you. If you are already taller than the groom or are the same height, don't do an updo. If you are short, use the updo to your advantage. 11. Keep it sensible Don't make your hairstyle too flamboyant - it should not compete with your face and your dress. You would want to avoid the situation where your hair is the only thing that jumps out at people when they look at you. Melanie Mendelson will help you lose weight fast for your wedding. Visit her website http://www.DietForBrides.com
Forex And Daytrading
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:55 PM PDT
Forex And Daytrading
Frank Hague Online trading is great way for serious investors to make money, but inexperienced traders often wind up with big losses. A good set of instructions can minimize the risks and save months of expensive trial-and-error learning. Day Trading Day Trading had its heyday during the bull market of the 1990's. All the amateurs have since dropped out, but day trading is still being practiced by professionals. There are fewer opportunities in the current market, but skilled investors can still find them if they know what to look for. FOREX Trading The Foreign Exchange Market (FOREX), the world's largest financial exchange market, originated in 1973. It has a daily turnover of currency worth more than $1.2 trillion dollars. Unlike many other securities, FOREX does not trade on a fixed exchange rate; instead, currencies are traded primarily between central banks, commercial banks, various non-banking international corporations, hedge funds, personal investors and not to forget, speculators. Previously, smaller investors were excluded from FOREX due to the huge amount of deposit involved. This was changed in 1995, and now smaller investors can trade alongside the multi-nationals. As a result, the number of traders within the FOREX market has grown rapidly, and many FOREX courses are appearing to help individual traders increase their skills. As a matter of fact, it's advisable to take FOREX training even before opening a trading account. It is vital to know the market mechanics of FOREX, leveraging in FOREX, rollovers and the analysis of the FOREX market. Due to this fact, potential FOREX traders would do well to either enroll in a FOREX training courses or even purchase some books regarding FOREX trading. There are pros and cons to enrolling into a FOREX course. For beginners a FOREX course is a rapid method of learning the basics of FOREX trading. Not much time is spent on history of the market or arcane economic theories. Often, on-line or phone support from a skilled FOREX trader is available to answer any questions. Also, the information is condensed and practical, often with graphs and charts. The disadvantage is the price, as courses are more expensive than a paperback from the bookstore. Also, the course may just teach the approach of the trader who wrote it, and individuals have different trading strategies. The student may grow accustomed to the logic and focus of the teacher without coming to realise that nothing is predictable in the FOREX market, and many different strategies will bring profits in varying market circumstances. Also, knowledge of practical applications may not be enough, as the FOREX is highly unpredictable and there are many external factors, such as political issues, affecting the flow of finances in the market. The best advice would be to do some background research on the FOREX market first, and then enroll in a course. About The Author: Frank Hague has always been interested in the Stock Market. http://www.forex-now.info - http://www.lazytrader.com - http://www.business-software-now.info - http://www.accounting-software-now.info
The Oscilloscopes
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:55 PM PDT
If your need is to repair, design or to manufacture electronic
equipment, then the oscilloscope is a necessary piece of equipment. For those that do not know what it is, it is a device or a scope that creates a visible two dimensional graph of one or more electrical potential differences. In short terms, these measurements allow engineers to effectively measure and then manage electrical output. Consider the oscilloscope to be a camera that doesn't take photos but captures signal images that can then be looked at and interpreted. There are several things to consider when it comes to the purchase of an oscilloscope though. For many individuals, these products will indefinitely alter their ability to perform accurately so it is important that the proper, most accurate devices be used to do so. So, when it comes to oscilloscopes, you'll want to consider the following elements: • Bandwidth • Rise Time • Sample rate • Waveform Capture Rate • Record Length • Vertical Sensitivity • Sweep Speed • Gain Accuracy • Triggering Capabilities • Effective Bits • Horizontal Accuracy • Resolution • Frequency Response The comparison of these elements in the oscilloscope will mean several things. First, the more advanced the technology, the more accurate, easy to use and the more reliable the device will be. These features each have various abilities and they each can make a significant difference in the quality of information that is provided. Yet, we do have to consider that the oscilloscope has several very high tech features which can make it expensive. Lesser expensive options are available in the oscilloscope but the proper balance of features and price will undoubtedly deliver the best possible product for you. There are also many information portals now devoted to the subject and we recommend reading about it at one of these. Try googling for "oscilloscope" and you will be surprised by the abundance of information on the subject. Alternatively you may try looking on Yahoo, MSN or even a decent directory site, all are good sources of this information. About The Author: for more information please see http://www.oscilloscope-shack.co.uk
How To Make Your Writing Meaningful
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:54 PM PDT
Writing a book is a huge endeavor. It means someone has decided to dedicate a certain amount of time to putting words on paper. But so many people don't finish what they start. Maybe they've run out of ideas. Maybe they lost interest. Maybe they got hopelessly stuck. However I believe the core of all these issues lies in one thing: the writer doesn't know why he or she is writing in the first place. All you have to do before you venture into the ever-tangled writing forest is leave a few breadcrumbs behind so you'll know how you got there and you'll know the way out! Lay them out by asking yourself the following questions about your work. Use them to challenge yourself, to get inspired, to put your writing front and center in your life. It's hard to get lost when you know exactly where you are. What Do You Have to Say? Here's another way to put it: what story are you telling? What is your point in writing this story or work of non-fiction? If you can't answer in a concise way, take some time to think about your message. It can be a huge one, such as a belief about how we all should live. It can be simple such as, "family is important". The big message in my novel was about the power of love in a family. I think I will always write about families because I believe the story of our families is the story of who we are in our hearts. I find the subject touching, challenging, inspiring. As you think about your message, realize that ideally you shouldn't have to write it down. It should come from the core of your being and you understand it because it is a part of your natural thought process: it is who you are. Take another look at what you have written in the past because your message may be showing up already in your work and you haven't noticed it yet. This is the way August Wilson described the story that was at the core of his whole body of work: "I once wrote a short story called 'The Best Blues Singer in the World' and it went like this: 'The streets that Balboa walked were his own private ocean, and Balboa was drowning.' End of story. That says it all. Nothing else to say. I've been rewriting that same story over and over again. All my plays are rewriting that same story. I'm not sure what it means, other than life is hard." Who Will Benefit from Your Words? You will find the motivation to return to your desk each day when you think about what may happen when someone reads your work. Will there be women who can be healthier mothers because you are writing about battling post-partum depression? Will there be men who might feel closer to their fathers because you're writing the next Field of Dreams? When you think of your reader, it takes some of the pressure off of you because you realize the importance of getting the message to him or her. You think less of how you're coming across. Are You Writing in a Medium That Best Suits Your Message? I used to write poetry. I loved it too, but somewhere along the line I felt the things I had to say became harder and harder to fit into the confines of verse. I moved over to prose and never went back. I wrote for magazines and experimented with essays before settling into novel writing. August Wilson had written poetry and was working on a novel, but his talents glowed when he wrote for the stage. If you're having trouble completing a project, consider whether you are writing in a medium that is right for you and your message. Don't be afraid of experimenting with other forms. You can always go back to what you were doing before if it doesn't work out. Step Down from the Soap Box Writing is already powerful. The fact that people are reading what you write means they are already interested, maybe even absorbed, by what you have to say. You don't have to get up on a soap box and belabor your points to get them across. A simple story can speak volumes about the big picture if you let it. Mr. Wilson once told The Paris Review, "I think my plays offer (white Americans) a different way to look at black Americans. For instance, in 'Fences' they see a garbageman, a person they don't really look at, although they see a garbageman every day. By looking at Troy's life, white people find out that the content of this black garbageman's life is affected by the same things - love, honor, beauty, betrayal, duty. Recognizing that these things are as much part of his life as theirs can affect how they think about and deal with black people in their lives." Get it? Small story, big picture. One Last Note I know I'm waving the "big theme" flag here, but what I really want for you is for you to feel the passion of what you're writing. You may be passionate about a big message or you may be passionate about the simple question of "what happens next?" in your story (and you really want to know the answer!) Just connect with that passion and go with it because to me, this is how books get finished--when someone really cares enough to want to get to the end. © 2005 Sophfronia Scott About The Author: Sophfronia Scott, "The Book Sistah," is author of the bestselling novel, All I Need to Get By. If you liked today's issue, stay tuned for more because The Book Sistah also offers FREE audio classes, FREE articles, workshops, and other resources to help aspiring authors get published and market their books successfully. The Book Sistah, 230 South Main St. Ste. 319, Newtown, CT 06470 203-426-2036, Info@TheBookSistah.com
5 Simple Ways Connect With Your Husband
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:54 PM PDT
Have you ever rolled over in the morning and not known the man lying next to you? I'm not referring to that time back in college - I'm talking about the present. After years of marriage, you may start to feel like your husband is a stranger. Or is it that you feel he's getting stranger? Either way, here are 5 simple ways to stay connected to your husband. 1. Cook a meal together. Whether it's breakfast or dinner it doesn't matter, as long as you're spending time together. How about getting up early Sunday morning and making a big old-fashioned Sunday breakfast for you and the kids? Or sending the kids to a sitter and preparing a nice romantic dinner together? You'll save money fixing the meal at home rather than dining out. Plus, you won't have to get "all dolled up" (unless you want to). Most importantly, you'll be using teamwork, which is the number one priority for any marriage. 2. Take on a project and get dirty! Tackle a big and messy job on your list - cleaning out the garage, pulling up shrubs in the yard, organizing the attic. Make an afternoon of it and do it together! You'll both feel a great sense of accomplishment that the job is finally done and it'll feel great to know that you got it done by operating as a unit. Now that you've worked up a sweat, why not draw a bath for two? 3. Spend a lazy afternoon going through old photos and reminiscing. Talk about the activities you used to do when you first started dating and make a plan to start doing them again. You might not be able to do them all, but make the effort to do as many of them as you can, whether it is taking long walks, going to concerts, or making out at the movies. 4. Play hooky! Plan a day where you can each stay home from work and spend the whole day home - alone - together - doing absolutely nothing! Lay in bed all day, cuddle, and watch movies. Make sure to turn the ringer off on the phone. 5. Make an effort on a daily basis to stay connected to your husband. Listen, ask questions - be his partner in all aspects of your life. Something as simple as making it a point to say, "How was your day, Honey?" every day when he gets home and listening to his response can make all the difference. The most important thing to remember is that you are not in your marriage by yourself. Share your concerns with your husband if you're not feeling quite as close as you once did. Let him know how you feel, how it makes you feel and that you want to work on it. Chances are your husband will be clueless, but once he realizes you're genuinely concerned, he'll jump right in and make more of an effort. Good luck! About The Author: Nicole Dean invites you to http://www.RomanceYourHusband.com, a website dedicated to helping married couples stay friends and to help them remember why they married each other in the first place. Our disclaimer is: If he's a jerk, this won't work. But, if he's sweet, rub his feet.
How To Double Your Debt Collections
by
Mnet
on Mon 17 Oct 2005 04:21 PM PDT
HOW TO DOUBLE YOUR DEBT COLLECTIONS By Jim Finucan Believe it or not, the success of your attempt to collect a debt is usually decided right at the beginning of your phone call – with the very first thing you say after the other party says hello. Knowing exactly what you are going to say – and handling the call in an organized, professional manner is the foundation upon which collections are made or lost. A professionally executed collections call has four parts: Part One is The Open – how you identify yourself, your company and the problem. And, how you place that problem before the debtor. Don't ask him when he's going to get around to paying you, or why he is putting you off. If you do you'll be at a disadvantage right off the bat. Instead, put the debtor in the position of having to explain himself. Say something like "What are your intentions toward this bill?" Part Two: The Facts. If the debtor doesn't agree to pay the bill early on, move into the next part of the call: asking questions about his situation. It's important to make a smooth transition here because you don't want to alarm the debtor. Say something like: "Let me just fill out an extension form for you." Then you can start asking about his job, whether his wife is employed, any outstanding loans he may have, credit cards, etc. Part Three: The Dun – Once your questioning has given you the information you need you can show the debtor a way in which he or she can pay the debt. You now know, for instance, that he can afford to put it on his MasterCard, or that she could qualify for a bank loan. Now you're in position to make your demand for payment (the dun). Part Four: The Close. Whether the debtor has agreed to pay or not, there is also a specific way you should close the call. And I don't mean "Gee, thanks. Have a nice day!" or "You've got your nerve!" Use an open-ended question designed to put the debtor on the spot; something like "Do I have your word on that?" If he has refused to pay or continues to dodge the issue remind him of how serious the situation is. Make it clear that the problem must be resolved. Be professional. Don't insult him. Save any threats of legal action until you've contacted the debtor several times without success and see no other option. Never threaten legal action unless you fully intend to follow through, otherwise you could be accused of harassment. Collection calls are sometimes a necessary part of the billing process. Making the effort to learn and use as many collection techniques as possible will bring you better results and greatly improve the health of your bottom line. Jim Finucan has put 12 years of experience as a "top gun" collections pro into his book "Past Due – A Debt Collections Manual." For more information about the book please visit: http://www.tiare.com/pastdue.htm |
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