Things I like Most

Obsessions: Things You Might Feel or Say

2007-01-30T08:36:00.000-08:00

By Eric Hartwell

Obsessional thoughts and actions can be highly disruptive and unpleasant. They can range from mild symptoms to ones that are so powerful that they affect everything the sufferer does, says and thinks.

Some of the types of thoughts sufferers may have include:

"I think I will catch something from someone else"

"I'm afraid of getting infected"

"I think if I do something it will cause harm to someone else"

"I'm afraid that I have missed something important"

Obsessions can rule lives. The fear of contamination can lead to ritual and compulsive hand washing and cleaning. Even door handles need to be washed - or avoided. Worktops and surfaces need regular inspection and cleaning and personal contact with others is often prohibited.

Understandably, this can lead to social isolation and a complete disruption of the daily routine.

Some obsessive people fear that they may do ham to someone - for example, attack them with a knife or with their bare hands. The feeling is overwhelming. At other times, people may feel that they have left gas taps on or fires turned up. This leads to a ritual checking routine which can often include partners and other family members. Despite checking, the sufferer is never satisfied and the ritual simply begins again.

Everybody with such feelings experiences them in a different way. No two people are alike and no obsession manifests itself in the same form. There are recognizable patterns, though. With help and perseverance, the symptoms can lessen and full recovery is not always impossible.

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Never Allow Fear to Over Take You

2007-01-30T08:33:00.000-08:00

By Paul Van

Why is it that Tiger Woods can be trailing in a golf tournament and come back to win? Tiger does not have any fear of his game because he practices to keep it at the championship level.

After glimpsing the Buick Open recently I observed the fear factor in the leaders prior to the final round of the tournament. Two golfers were seemingly ahead to stay, however a tiger was lurking in the shadows waiting to over take them.

People making observations about Tiger Woods say, "He is too good or he is lucky." Tiger Woods is a great golfer because he faces his fears.

What do I mean by this? Tiger has flaws just like any other golfer on the PGA tour, the difference is he consistently works on his flaws and in times when he needs to call upon his weaknesses to be a strength, the consistent preparation pays off time and time again.

You are no different, albeit your game may be that of an accountant or a banker. The philosophy is the same, if you consistently work on your weaknesses, in moments of trials or tribulations you have prepared yourself accordingly and will succeed because you don not fear the outcome, rather you dictate the outcome of a business venture.

Once you begin to understand the importance of preparation your skill level increases exponentially. Never allow fear to over take you. The bottom line is your preparation will make a world of difference in your life and that of others.

Paul Lawrence Vann is an international speaker. He hold two master degrees, one in acquisition management and the other in business. He transitioned from the USAF in the rank of Lieutenant Colonel and became founder and CEO of Laurel Wreath Communications Incorporated located in the metropolitan Washington, DCa area. Learn more about this media savvy speaker and author at http://www.paullawrencevann.com or call him at (800) 476-8976.

Sex Slaves in America

2007-01-30T08:30:00.000-08:00

By Paul Davis

Sex slaves
Statistics in the USA
A nation gone astray
We chase "evildoers" abroad
Yet at home ask God
To "bless America"
While we disregard
The girls within our country
Being brutalized and abused
Raped and economically used
Driven into impoverishment
Gross darkness and enslavement
Beaten, pimped, and dumped
Without a bed, left for dead
Where is dear Big Brother?
How abut dear old Dad?
Why is such violence tolerated
And with it how come we're not mad?
Why do we disregard the helpless
Carry on in a state of ignorance
And bury our heads deep in the sand?
What has become of this land?
Destitute, corrupt, and vile
Full of pimps, prostitutes, and pedophiles
Men who lie, cheat, and beguile
The innocence of tender young girls
Taking them captive for a devilish whirl
Around the dirty old block,
As they aggressively stock
Seek to seduce and reduce
A little one's self-esteem
After which they can control and be mean
Demean, demoralize, and realize
Their evil, gratuitous aims
As they seek to manipulate and tame
The fight for right within
If necessary drug and than sell them
Threaten murderously to kill them
If they dare to talk or walk
Away from such a polluted environment
Easier said than done
Once a derelict has made you
His someone with whom to have fun
To jeopardize your future
Tell your family
Betray your trust
To gratify his own lust
Then to sustain his ongoing greed
Beyond his fleshly needs
Oh dear God, what has become of us?
God Almighty come quickly to help us!
Liberate us from ourselves and sin
Free us from the enemy within
From the tormentors and oppressors
Making prey of young girls
Both here and from afar
Be they from the ghetto
Or the big cities like Tokyo
Countries enslaved beyond comprehension
Cambodia, Thailand, the Philippines, and Ukraine
Police involved in duplicity just the same
Allowing pimps to pay them off
Be it monetarily or sexually
This is the plight of humanity
From the basements in Brooklyn
To the strongholds Latin
From Costa Rica to Nicaragua
America to Australia
England to Russia
The devil has his emissaries
Working viciously and tirelessly
To toil and spoil young ladies
Before they can mature and blossom
Be the powerful princesses
They are called to be
To discover their identity
Impact and influence society
Marry and make a family
Sadly most never escape
Neither get this opportunity
Devastated and broken within
They feel incapable to win
Incapacitated and powerless to escape
Therefore we must go and boldly take
Them out of the sex slave prisons
With a vengeance and passion
To provide them new life
Before we are overtaken
By sick, perverted men
Who use, abuse, and sell them
61% of all rape victims
Are younger than 18.
This is beyond mean!
90% of young women
Involved in prostitution
Were sexually abused as children.
80%-90% of young women
In the criminal or juvenile justice system
Have been physically or sexually abused.
This is justice abandoned and misused.
The average age of entry into prostitution is 12.
There are between 100,000 and 3 million adolescents
Involved in prostitution annually in this country.
As long as they are, let us not think we are free!
Young women now account for
24% of all juveniles in detention facilities.
What have become of our liberties?
Such bondage cannot be legislated away
For these girls we must fast and pray
Aggressively drive the pedophiles away
Seek to show compassion in action
Help, rescue and save them today
Before the Johns come out to play.
African-American young women comprise
Almost 50% of all young women
In secure detention, while Hispanics
Make up 13%. The result of fathers absent.
The juvenile female offender of the 1990s
Is likely to come from a single-parent home,
Lack appropriate social and work related skills
And is also likely to be under age 15.
Life in America is not as it seems
Their is a dark culture behind the scenes
Demolishing, and destroying our daughters
While we kick back on the couch and watch TV
What than will you do for your country
To uphold the cause for freedom and liberty?
Don't sit back and attack, pointing the finger
Saying che sara sara, whatever will be, will be
Get up, hit the streets, demand change!
Cry out as a voice of righteousness and rearrange
The mishaps in society by which girls are estranged
From beloved family and friends,
As their lives are brought to a bitter end.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

Paul is the author of several books including Breakthrough for a Broken Heart; Adultery: 101 Reasons Not to Cheat; Are You Ready for True Love; Stop Lusting & Start Living; Waves of God; Supernatural Fire; Poems that Propel the Planet; and God vs. Religion.

Paul's compassion for people & passion to travel has taken him to over 50 countries of the world where he has had a tremendous impact. Paul has served in many war-torn, impoverished and tsunami stricken regions of the earth. His Dream-Maker Inc. is building dreams, breaking limitations & reviving nations.

Paul's Breakthrough Seminars inspire, revive, awaken, impregnate with purpose, impart the fire of desire, catapult people into a new level of self-awareness, facilitate destiny discovery and dream fulfillment.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

For additional info: DreamMakerMinistries.com CreativeCommunications.TV

Helping You Make a Healthy Choice

2007-01-29T08:35:00.000-08:00

By Kevin Hinton

As a teacher I not only expect my students to ask questions but I expect them to check the truth contained within the answers.

To accept any bit of information without query denotes:

• understanding,

• blind trust or

• a lack of interest.

And as you read from ‘thehealtheducator.com’ - regarding matters of ‘health education’ - you should be very cautious as to what I say and how I say it.

I am guilty of making enormous statements that border on sacrilege and heresy – according to some.

I denounce the present-day concept of ‘disease causation’ followed up by the administration of some form of medical / pharmaceutical intervention.

• germs do not cause disease.

• there is no specific germ for each disease.

• And if you do believe in the ‘Germ Theory” - then don’t hold your breath – waiting that someday, somehow, somewhere, maybe… the pharmaceutical world will produce an inorganic, lifeless chemical cocktail that will “cure’ the weird and wonderful litany of symptoms that they promote as being antagonistic to life.

I state unequivocally that the present medical theory – based on the practise of ‘treating the symptom’ all the while ‘disregarding the cause’– is wrong in all ways – always!

I can honestly state that in my twenty-five + years of study and practise in the health field that I have never seen or heard a satisfactory answer to the question:

• “What causes:

- colds and flu’s,

- headaches and blocked up sinuses.

- arthritis, arteriosclerosis, asthma and Alzheimer’s - and on and on and on it goes – from A-Z and back again.

No answer, that is, from the medical fraternity and it’s associated arms.

However, should you wish to hear an honest appraisal of this question from a health standpoint, you could do no better than to read:

- 'Tell Me Simply' and 'What is Nature Cure?' - available from: http://thehealtheducator.com/books.html

Choice is one of the cornerstones of our society.

Making choices that satisfy our needs, is in part, based on acquiring knowledge that sets us free..

Unfortunately, the medical profession seems to be content to keep the truth about health in the ‘dark ages.’

You see, when you expose ‘disease’ to the light of truth – it heals itself at little or no cost.

All the best in sorting out ‘the sheep from the goats.’

Kevin

Kevin Hinton has been teaching the art of Natural Living and Natural Healing for over 25 years. He is recognized as one of Australia's leading health educators. For more information on how to improve your health - go to: http://www.thehealtheducator.com and while there, sign up for your free world class health newsletter.

How To Use A Tanning Bed For Great Results

2007-01-29T08:33:00.000-08:00

By Jon Arnold

People generally love to have a great tan. That bronzed look says to many that you have time to spend in the sun, relaxing, gathering rays, which is turn seems to say “success” to many because you have the kind of leisure time to do that. A good even tan makes you look healthy. But is a tan really healthy? It CAN be but it needs to be done correctly so that underneath that killer tan you are not doing damage to your skin.

Tanning occurs when the skin produces additional pigment (coloring) to protect itself against burn from these ultraviolet rays. Natural sunlight and the ultra-violet lamps in tanning beds produce these UV rays. With tanning beds you can avoid sun’s harmful effects from the mildest ones to the harshest such as wrinkles, freckles, skin discolorations, and even skin cancer.

In reality, a tan indicates a skin “problem”. There is still the opportunity to be concerned about skin damage when using a tanning bed, but there are several steps you can take to minimize that risk. You don’t want the trade-off for a great tan to be premature aging of the skin or wrinkles, but the proper use of a tanning bed with knowledge of what you are doing can minimize (although not eliminate) the hazards and risks.

The UV rays used by the tanning bed lamps have been found to enforce the production of vitamin D in the skin. This works in the same way that direct exposure to the sun’s rays will. The UV rays, particularly the UVB type, are responsible for stimulating the production of melanin, which is a naturally occurring skin pigment.

The type of tanning bed that you typically see in both residential and commercial places like a tanning salon are horizontal tanning beds. These range in price from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars, depending on various factors such as the intensity of the UV lamps, and extra features such as a fan to keep you cool while you are tanning, and even a radio or CD player so you can listen to music while you use it.

Whether a commercial or residential model, tanning beds emit a mixture of ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation to produce a bronzed look on white skin. In other words, the ultra violet light used by the UV lamps in a tanning bed is almost exactly the same kind of ultra violet light that comes from the sun. What this means is that the same risks can occur. Yes, without proper protection, you can get a sunburn from tanning bed use, and it will be every bit as painful.

For optimal results, your best bet is to talk with the professional at the tanning salon, or for a residential model, read the owner’s manual from front to back before you even plug the unit in. Understand the proper usage and the proper length of time to use it. You can maximize your tanning efforts by the use of various tanning lotions, which also have the added benefit of helping to protect your skin to the maximum level possible.

Jon is a computer engineer who maintains web sites on a variety of topics based on his knowledge and experience. You can read more about Tanning Beds at his web site at Tanning Beds Tips and Advice.

To Weed Or Not To Weed-That Is The Question!

2007-01-29T08:32:00.000-08:00

By Ena Clewes

When I first started my present garden, it had been totally farmland and therefore, it was full of weeds. It had no shape. It was like a typical farmers field, bumpy ground and obnoxious weeds. At first I felt rather daunted and overwhelmed by the job of creating this nightmare into an English Cottage garden. As I have lived in England, I knew what I wanted my garden to look like. I just was not sure that I had enough physical energy and determination to get the job done.

I have learned in life, that if you tackle a large project one step at a time, rather than look at a project in its entirety, you are more likely to achieve your goals. I had to think, just what do I want from my garden? Was it to be a place where I could relax, or a place to have wild poolside parties, or a place where I could lose myself in time? While weeding and creating, I chose the latter, but it is important if you are starting from scratch to know what kind of garden you want. Gardens are never made by accident. Whether it’s a sterile plot or a space filled with plants, someone decides the precise arrangement they want and are prepared to maintain.

I broke all my own rules about planning and detail before getting started. I just went ahead and by instinct knew what I wanted. As my garden covers 2 acres of land, I really could not financially employ anyone to help to dig it all up and renew the soil, so I had to go it alone with my trusty spade and garden fork and my aching muscles and tubes of liniment!

I like rounded edges in my flowerbeds, not straight sided. I think rounded edges add softness to any design, but I had to angle the edges from the grass to stop the weeds from growing into the flowerbeds. I thought that would work, but I soon found out differently. I think some of the weeds I encountered had roots going down 50 feet! As soon as I would dig them out, they just came back. This was very discouraging and backbreaking, but I was determined to go ahead.

Weeds grow either from seed or they reproduce from their roots. The roots grow outward from the parent plant and produce new plants, springing up from lateral roots, creating more parent plants and the process just goes on and on and the weeds thrive. We must remember that weeds are just plants growing in the wrong place. They need water, sunlight and nutrition to survive.

The easiest of these essentials for a gardener to control is sunlight. Before mulching, remove all vegetation from your planting area and, using a hoe, undercut the roots and remove the plant, roots and all. Then turn the soil by hand. You may decide to turn it again after a few days have passed. This brings the roots that were left in the soil to the top and the sun will dry them out and make them less viable. It also disturbs the weed seeds that have started to germinate, which makes them less viable. The longer you continue this process, the more weeds you eliminate from your garden.

Before mulching, place newspaper (about 8 layers thick) over the soil and place the mulch on top. The newspaper blocks the sunlight from reaching the soil, which keeps weed growth to a minimum. As it decomposes, it will not affect the appearance of your garden. After 6 years of battling with my own weeds, I am not sure who is winning the battle, but I am determined to win the war!!

I hope you will be able to reach your own goals and realize that nothing is impossible when determination and creativity are your partners.

Ena Clewes is a transplanted Scot, living in Ontario, on a farm where she has an English garden. She is a writer and speaker with a passion for gardening.

Please visit my new garden Forum, I am always looking for gardening questions to answer, so I will look forward to meeting you there!

Ena Clewes Master gardener and creative writer. I have just started a new garden forum, and I would love if you would meet me there, and ask any questions you may have about your own garden. http://bMrsGreenthumb.runboard.com

Is Sin Causing 'Global Warming'?

2007-01-29T08:29:00.000-08:00

By Charles Crosby

Mankind in his 'cleverness' thinks his every day physical 'mismanagement', 'misuse' and 'abuse' of the earth's resources is or are the reason(s) that our global climate is changing. In particular the burning of fossil fuels. In turn mankind has made use of nuclear power, as an alternative, and many people believe that nuclear tests, leaks and accidents at power stations are and have been a major contributory factor in the increase of cancers and tumours in the human anatomy, and most likely there is much truth in this reasoning.

Fossil fuel by-products are now universally used in fertilizers, pesticides medicines, cosmetics, plastics, you name it and these by-products are in there somewhere. This has resulted in what many would say is a comprehensive poisoning of our environment, including the food we put on our tables. This alleged poisoning also includes meat products fattened and reared with the use of chemicals, antibiotics and hormones.

Here in the UK, organic food is now very much in demand and its popularity is increasing at an amazing rate. People are now saying what a Frankenstein monster the science lobby has become, a monster they have helped to create and encouraged to grow since the 1960's, but now have no control over. With GM (Genetically Modified) foods, the latest addition to science's nursery, things can only get worse according to those who have turned and joined the Green/Eco lobby. In the UK, GM foods are literally called Frankenstein Foods by the media.

From a Christian perspective the issues are these: If mankind 'cleaned' up his act in terms of material physical pollution and general abuse of his environment would it bring an end to climate change? I don't think so. Are all these physical and material activities of mankind the cause of the problem, or just the symptoms or outward behavioural signs of another problem; the symptoms of a deeper and more serious malaise in the hearts of men and women? The real question here is this: Is the 'Global Warming' - 'Climate Change' problem, call it what you will, a Spiritual problem rather than just a physical material problem?

As a Christian and believer in an all mighty powerful God, I know that planet earth, our solar system and all the stars in the heavens are held together in perfect harmony by the Power of God - The Holy Spirit. God's Power, His Holy Spirit, controls everything and I also know that sin grieves The Holy Spirit. Furthermore, there is a limit to which God will allow His Spirit to be grieved before He takes action. Now, as if this were not important enough, there is also the permanent damage element of what rampant sin does to mankind. A level of damage caused by sin from which there is no return. How do I know this? Easy, let's go to Genesis and we will quickly find out how I know.

Genesis 6:5-6 And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. 6 And it repented (filled the Lord with sorrow) the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved (cut or carved) Him at his heart. (Brackets mine) Here we can plainly see how man's evil activities i.e. his sins, affected God, grieving His Spirit and cutting Him to His heart. This meant man gave God no pleasure at all, just as a human father would gain no pleasure from watching his son go wrong and end up in prison and/or on death row!

Notice, the thoughts of the heart of these people were causing them to do only evil continually - non stop evil and nothing else - 24/7 and Genesis gives us more detail:

Genesis 6:11-12 The earth (the creation or in secular terminology - the environment) also was corrupt (in a state of ruinous decay) before God, and the earth was filled with violence (for unjust gain). 12 And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way (walking a decaying ruinous vile path) upon the earth. (Brackets mine)

Here in Genesis The Lord gives us some stark parallels with our world today, with man's sinful ways being the direct cause of ruin to himself and God's creation. His sins were directly affecting his environment through grieving his Creator and the only answer The Lord had left was to rid the earth of these people, not just for punishment but for their own good. They were so far gone that they were near to the point of no return and they had more or less created Satanism on earth. The Lord had no alternative but to destroy them all.

The Lord then sends the flood and redeems Noah and his family, but the point many people miss in this story is the cataclysmic climate change that comes with the flood - don't forget, a flood caused by sin. What people have missed are the differences between the two worlds. The differences in what the pre-flood world must have been like compared to the post-flood world. Holy Scripture leaves much unanswered on this subject but what evidence it does leave is revealing if we apply that evidence correctly.

One of the first things that hit us about the pre-flood world is the great ages or life spans of the people mentioned in Scripture - some are over nine hundred years old. Now many 'clever' people have dreamt up all manner of hypotheses to explain these life spans away, including myself before I was called, but never any explanations to support them as being fact. Of course, we all know why they do this, to discredit the Holy Bible as much as they can. So let's go now to the Scriptures and see for ourselves what they do reveal about this world shattering event. Please note the flood was a global event, not localised as some would have you believe.

Genesis 9:14 And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud: 15 And I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is upon the earth. Here we have evidence that the pre-flood world never had rain. It never had rain because the rainbow was now a sign in the clouds to remind mankind of God's covenant with Noah. The rainbow was a new phenomenon and Noah and his family would never have seen it before. The rain, that part caused the flood, was the first rain to fall upon the earth, so the next question is where did all this water come from? The Bible tells us:

Genesis 1:6 And God said, Let there be a firmament (a sky) in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters. 7 And God made the firmament (the sky), and divided the waters which were under the firmament (the sky) from the waters which were above the firmament (the sky): and it was so. Here, Holy Scripture tells us that there was water above the sky and water below the sky. Now this water barrier was a solid permanent feature above the sky that completely covered the earth and it was most likely in the upper atmosphere. We are not talking about clouds here which come and go at will and are often found at ground level, this was something completely different from what we know about our atmosphere today. Noah saw clouds for the first time after the flood. The sky in pre-flood times divided the waters so they were completely separate!

OK, back to the 'puzzle' of the great ages and life spans of pre-flood people. If, as I have said, these great ages are true how did they achieve them? Again this is simple and it's all tied up in that water barrier in the upper atmosphere. It filtered out all the harmful rays of the sun which any scientist will tell you are what age us - UV and any others that may be harmful. These people lived in a near perfect environment when compared to ours. My guess is that there was no weather and no seasons. Weather and seasons only started after the flood. Are you saying the earth moved on its axis - very likely? Sheer speculation on my part but then I do not underestimate nor do I limit God in what He can do to achieve His will.

We know from the fact that the rainbow was seen for the first time by Noah and his family and that rain was a new phenomenon, so the disintegration of the water barrier was the cause of the flood, but only in part. The fact that the pre-flood world had no rain must mean they obtained water from elsewhere and of course they did - vast underground aquifer springs which in turn when they broke out, contributed to the flood. The waters that caused the flood came from two sources - above and below.

Genesis 7:11 In the six hundredth year of Noah's life, in the second month, the seventeenth day of the month, the same day were all the fountains of the great deep broken up, and the windows of heaven were opened.

Here we have evidence of the underground aquifers, here called fountains of the great deep. These aquifers were deep underground and they broke out with great force. This breaking out would have been a cataclysmic event with massive geological upheavals to the earth's crust. Geologists today puzzle and scratch their heads over these faults and anomalies as they study rocks and rock formations, never realizing they are looking at the evidence of damage caused by the great flood.

So to return to my original question: Is sin causing Global Warming or Climate Change? I would say it most definitely is. The acts man needs to clean up are not so much his polluting acts, as God can deal with them with the click of His fingers, but rather his sinful acts. The question is: Will he? Answer: Not in this age as he incapable of doing so, but he will in the next!!

Charles Crosby.

The Ingredients for Success

2007-01-29T08:28:00.000-08:00

By Tristan Loo

What’s the difference between those people who build successful lives and those who often fail? What do those successful people have that’s different from everyone else? Is it luck? …Or is it something else? I have spent the last eight years of my life engaged in heavy research on the lives of those who excel at what they do and also those who fail miserably at life. This unique perspective was gained during my five-year tour of duty as a police officer, working the tough streets and engaging people who for the most part we don’t see because we choose not to see them. I used my street experience to compare and contrast those people who suffered through life versus those who excelled, and I came up with six simple ingredients that have repeatedly produced success in peoples’ lives.

Success is a Whole Lot Like Cooking

Being a food lover and self-proclaimed amateur chef, I’ve had the experience of going to a barbeque cook-off contest when I was visiting Texas not so long ago. The rules were simple: meat + heat + seasoning. More than 150 contestants spent countless hours over the grill to produce that winning flavor, but only one was selected as the grand champion.

I got to thinking that this event was really a microcosm of life success. You see, at the beginning of this competition, each competitor had to cook a piece of meat that was preinspected to be nearly identical to all the other entries. Meat was the constant. All of the barbeque grills were also inspected to ensure that they were all on the same page. So the heating agent was also a constant. The only thing that was left up to the chefs’ imaginations and creativity was the seasoning and basing methods that they used. Each one of these chefs guarded their secret seasoning recipes, but when you really look at it, most of the seasoning recipes consisted of mostly the same ingredients as well.

Just as the BBQ competitors all started off with the same piece of meat to cook, I’ll make the claim that in life, most of us start off pretty much the same in terms of human potential. Yeah, there are those who are geniuses, or have the genes to play pro basketball, but in general, most of us are the same. All of us have our own strengths and weaknesses to deal with. Throughout my experiences with the successful and the not so successful, I’ve discovered that successful people are able to take their raw abilities, strengths, and weaknesses and through their own motivating force, transform their dreams into concrete reality.

Ingredient #1: Be Willing to Pursue Your Passions

I’m going to share with you a story about a really good friend and fishing buddy that I have. John is one of the most intelligent people I know. He graduated from UCLA medical school at the top of his class and became a prominent doctor in his hometown. Anyone would say confidently that John was a model of success for anyone to follow. I certainly thought so. Here was I, getting hit and spit at by criminals and risking my life for unappreciative victims, while John was raking in a mid six-figure income and looked up to by men, women, and children. Well, there was just one problem to that equation. John didn’t feel like he was very successful at all. He hated being stressed out at work, the long hours in the hospital, and although he was highly intelligent, his passion for medicine just wasn’t there to begin with. As it turned out, his jump into the medical profession was never his dream at all, but rather it was the pressure and expectation of his parents to become a doctor because they saw a doctor as being someone who made a lot of money and was someone to be respected.

John and I went out on our usual fishing trip to the Columbia River in the beautiful Pacific Northwest one weekend. I was always envious of John’s skills at fishing because he’d pull in the biggest steelhead that you’d swear was in the river. As jealous of his skills—I called it luck—as I was, I had to admit that I learned a great deal about how to catch fish from John because fishing was his primary passion in life, or at least I thought so because that’s all he would talk about most of the time.

When we got back to the cabin, John sat down on the wooden kitchen chair and sighed, “Tristan, I don’t know what I’m doing with my life anymore.”

“What do you mean?” I asked curiously. I knew John was going through some work-related stress lately, but I couldn’t fathom why he would be so unhappy. After all, he had a lot more material things than I had and he was always the popular one between us both.

“I don’t know what I am doing with my career. Each day I go into work, I end up hating it even more. I spent over 15 years building up my career, so why isn’t it working for me? Why am I not happy? I’m asking you because I know you are good with these kinds of things. What should I do?” John looked desperate for some kind of answer from me.

“Were you ever passionate about medicine, or being a physician?” I asked.

John sat there for a good five minutes in silence over that question. I could tell that he was having an internal battle over whether to tell me the cosmetic “ego answer” or the genuine answer from the heart. After what seemed like an eternity of silence, John broke down in tears. “No. I never liked being a doctor. It was a family thing—you know. Not my own.”

We talked for most of the night about his situation and I learned some things about John that I never knew before. His stress level was becoming so great that he was taking far too many painkillers than was good for him to deal with his constant migraines. In his search for a cure to get rid of his stress, John had even gotten into buying cheap sex from call girls and using street drugs. Needless to say, the path my friend was on was leading to a quick demise.

I remembered something that my dear mother had taught me and I gave John those same words of wisdom that were entrusted to me—that success is not found in a title, or riches, or in material possessions, but rather in reaching your own self-fulfillment and being true to yourself.

I was used to always listening to John and his vast library of knowledge that he held in his head, but that night, I gave John a lesson in something that he had never learned from either his parents or from his schools and that lesson was how to listen and speak to his own heart. I told him that passion can’t be forced into your life. It just doesn’t work that way. Passion must be sought out and acquired by doing the things that you love. If you love doing something so much that you would gladly trade the rest of your days doing it, then not only will you be good at what you do, but you will attract wealth and success along with that passion. I told him that his true adventure begins when he leaves this cabin and goes back home because he will begin his first quest to find his passion in life.

About a month later, John called me. He sounded like he had just won the lottery. He told me that he had just quit his job at the hospital and was going to pursue his real passion—that’s right—fly fishing. He was going to open up his own fly fishing shop in Montana, where he always dreamed of living. And you know what? To this day, John has never been more happy about life, and I have never known anyone else who has as much passion for what he does as a career. John found his passion in life, and it wasn’t being a doctor.

John’s story outlines one of the most important ingredients that all successful people have in common—a passion for life and a passion to pursue their interests. Their passion becomes their motivating force that eventually draws them to their own personal success. Therefore, in your quest to find your success, forget about finding your success. That is conceptually impossible to envision. Instead, find your passion in life. Find that which you love to do. If you find that and hold on to it tight, then that passion will pull you toward that success.

Ingredient #2: “No Give Up”

“No give up” was actually a motto of a Japanese martial arts Sensei of mine, pertaining to surviving an encounter with an opponent who outmatched you in every way possible. I would have long practices in the dojo lifting weights, practicing offense and defense, and sparring. Near the end of each workout, I would be so tired that I could barely stand, yet my Sensei would always throw me back into the ring for another sparring session with some new guy who had just walked into the gym. I was ready to just give up and collapse because my arms were so tired that I couldn’t even protect myself anymore. I mean, here I was in my fourth hour of intense training, having to fight some guy who was fresh and full of energy. Every time I was at the point of giving up, my Sensei would yell at me with his Japanese accent—“No give up.” As tired and bruised as I was, I followed his orders. I went for another round of intense abuse.

Several years later while on patrol, I encountered a subject who was high on PCP. Now this guy was about 6’1” and over 250 lbs. I was 5’5” and barely 165 lbs. Now those of you who don’t know, PCP, or phencyclidine, has the effect of making the person not only paranoid but extremely violent and it also impairs their ability to feel pain while also increasing their strength tremendously. Well, I was in the fight of my life with this person and he was tossing me into cars and banging my head into the concrete. I was semi-conscious and ready to quit, but then I heard those familiar words of my Sensei, “No Give Up!!” These words motivated me to go another round with this lunatic and not just hand over my life to be taken by this guy…After all, if he got my gun after he finished me off, then who knows who else would be next? I couldn’t give in. I could feel the blood dripping into my eyes, and I was sure it was mine. With the last bit of strength that I had, I performed a shoulder throw on the guy and got him into a rear leg lock and I just held him to the ground with all my strength. It seemed like hours, but then my cop buddies arrived and saved me.

So looking back on that moment, I realize that I could have died that night. I could have handed my life over to that idiot and I would not be here today to share this story with you. What I did was not give up so easily in the face of incredible odds; and because I chose to go that extra round against impossible odds, I am here alive and healthy and successful today. I truly believe that while not all of us will ever be in a life-or-death fight like my own (and I pray that you never have to), I also believe that each one of us encounters at least one seemingly impossible challenge in life, whether it be financial, relationship, personal growth, or anything else that impedes our way toward our dreams.

It’s the successful people out there who hear something similar to the words of my Sensei, shouting at them to “No give up!” Successful people are willing to go that extra round against an impossible opponent and to hold on till the end. From my interviews with unsuccessful people, I have learned that all too often, the opportunity was there for them to become successful and in some cases, there were quite a few good opportunities for them to achieve their dreams, but then their life opponent, whether it be external or internal, stepped in their way and instead of fighting for their dream, they ran the other way, farther from it.

Ingredient #3: The Thirst for More Knowledge

Successful entrepreneurs and business leaders, regardless of formal education, all have something in common—the willingness to continue learning and enhancing their core competencies. Knowledge is the most valuable investment that you own, and we’re not talking about some university lecture. Knowledge can come from any variety of sources. I hated going to boring lectures in college, and I passed all my courses just by reading the materials. Books were and still are my passion, and I devour them like crazy. This is the same way with many successful people out there. They find ways of learning that suit their learning style.

One of the problems of traditional schooling is that people often do what it takes to get the degree, as I did, but they don’t invest the time towards actually getting the education. After the degree is received, people get relaxed and think that their learning is finally over. They go out into the world and find that they spent four years of their life learning nothing that can be applied to the real world. Heed my words, to be successful in life requires a commitment towards life-long learning. The people who are successful realize that their learning will never stop. They find the way that they enjoy learning and pursue it passionately, always looking for opportunities to enhance their knowledge and invest in their own personal growth.

Follow your passions by developing and enhancing your core competencies—the things that you are great at doing. Figure out what kind of learning method suits you best and then immerse yourself in that learning environment. Learning is much like working out at the gym: You have to practice it regularly and make it a rule of health to do it consistently. If you are following your passion, then learning will also be a passion for you.

Ingredient #4: In Order to Grow, You Must be Willing to Take Risks

Successful people are not afraid to take calculated risks in life. This does not mean that successful people are reckless with their futures and do things out of mere impulse, but simply that when the opportunity comes around for them to take one step toward their dream, they are not afraid to take that step.

In 2000, my good friend and Mentor lost his good job with an engineering firm when they went bankrupt. Most people I know would have panicked and jumped right into another nine-to-five job, but not my friend. He had a vision of owning his own company and he was willing to risk being financially unstable for several years before he could make his dream come true. You see, my friend had a product that he invented—a technology he developed for the home theatre enthusiast that translated audio sound into stereo movement directly into the couch. He sent his product to all the big trade magazines and he got rejection after rejection. After all, no one wanted to take his homemade gizmo seriously. I know that many other people would have taken those rejection letters personally and just give up, but my friend persisted. He didn’t see it as another rejection for himself or his product, but rather a rejection on the publisher for missing out on the latest and greatest thing to hit the home theatre world. I watched him pinch the pennies and cut out all the vacations and extraneous things from his life, but his persistence towards his dream never failed. Five years later, Crowson Technologies is one of the biggest producers of high-end audio equipment for home theatre enthusiasts, with distributors located world-wide. My friend was willing to risk it all for those five years and the payout for him was huge.

We are all faced with similar opportunities on a regular basis. It’s our fear of change, our fear of the unexpected, that prevents us from taking those steps toward our dreams. When the possibility for a better future comes along, don’t be afraid to take on the burden of uncertainty, for life itself is an uncertain thing. It’s only our minds that seek solidarity and consistency. Break this mold and you will be one step closer to personal success. Don’t be afraid to take risks in life.

Ingredient #5: Be Flexible to Changes in Life

I don’t mean that all successful people practice yoga. What is meant here is that life is dynamic—meaning that it always changes and it’s unpredictable. Successful people realize that even the best plans can fall through the cracks because of unexpected things that might occur. Successful people have the ability to be flexible with their plans and to adapt and overcome challenges and obstacles that come their way.

My life-long hero, Bruce Lee, the father of Jeet Kun Do and mixed martial art competition, said that the most powerful element on this earth is water. Water can trickle gently or it can crash with tremendous force. Water is shapeless by nature, yet it can conform to the shape of any container it sits in. You cannot hurt water if you try to strike it. Water is power, so you must be like the nature of water when you are fighting. This has been the driving force of my philosophy, not only with my personal life, but with the Synergy Institute and my teachings as well. When you go through life, be like the nature of water and be flexible enough to conform to any situation that comes your way. Be impervious to attacks. Be able to handle situations with gentle care and other situations with tremendous force. Be like the nature of water.

Ingredient #6: Only Those Who Take Action Make Dreams Come True

I teach my students that the most valuable thing around is time because we can never replace the time that we have here. Unfortunately, too many of us waste that time by not taking action. Action delivers results. I was talking to a buddy of mine several years ago about a system of conflict resolution that I had developed. My friend was impressed and said I should write a book on it. I kind of chuckled and told him, “Sure, sure.” At that point, I didn’t even believe that I had what it takes to write a book. Then several years later, I decided to take my work seriously and commit myself to writing that book, even if I didn’t know how. I decided to take action and I admit, there were mistakes and hang-ups along the way, but all of those things were valuable learning lessons for me for my own personal growth. And now I have a book that I have written myself that sells quite nicely to the business leaders I targeted it to. Did the book exist in me before I started writing it? Yes, the book was always there in my head, but I manifested it into the real world by taking action—by picking up that pen and paper and transferring my thoughts into writing. I took action to make it something real.

I heavily subscibe to the “Ready, Fire, Aim” approach. What this means is that if you took the traditional approach of “Ready, Aim, Fire,” most people spend far too long aiming and never firing. Successful people on the other hand, will fire first, check how far off they are from their target and reposition their rifle a second or even a third time till they hit the bulls-eye. Aiming is like dreaming. Most of us spend far too long dreaming and never taking action. Successful people take action, even though their action might be in the wrong direction, but nevertheless, they are able to learn from their error and fine-tune their aiming for success.

Tristan Loo is a life management consultant, trainer and author. He is the founder of the Synergy Institute, a personal development company based out of San Diego, California. Tristan is the author of Street Negotiation: How to Resolve Any Conflict Anytime and writes for numerous magazines and publications. Visit Tristan's website at http://www.synergyinstituteonline.com

Lower Your Cholesterol For A Healthier Life

2007-01-29T08:26:00.000-08:00

By Dawn H Robertshaw

Cholesterol is a waxy substance that the body needs to function normally. Your body uses cholesterol to produce certain hormones and make vitamin D. It also produces bile acids that digest fat. But your body only needs a small amount of cholesterol to perform these functions. Too much cholesterol in your bloodstream will start to adhere to the artery walls and form blockages. These blockages are the cause of heart attacks and strokes.

It is important that you keep your cholesterol at a healthy level. While high cholesterol can be hereditary, a lot of our cholesterol problems come from the food we eat and lack of exercise.

The best way to lower your cholesterol is to lose weight. Being overweight interrupts the body's metabolism causing the body to hang onto too much fat. Following a low fat, low cholesterol diet and getting more exercise will help you lose weight and lower your cholesterol.

Here is a guide on what foods to eat and what foods to limit:

Food you should eat:

* 5 servings per day of a variety of fruits and vegetables.
* 6 servings per day of whole grain breads, rice and pasta. Oatmeal is especially beneficial.
* 2 to 4 servings of fat free or low fat milk products.
* 6 ounces of lean meats or skinless poultry per day.
* Beans and peas.
* Nuts and seeds in limited amounts.
* Unsaturated vegetable oils. But limit the amount of margarine and spreads made from them.

Foods to Limit:

* Whole milk, creams and ice cream.
* Butter, egg yolks and cheese.
* Untrimmed fatty meats and organ meats.
* Processed meats such as Bologna, hot dogs, salami and sausage.
* Bakery goods made with saturated fats and egg yolks.
* Coconut oils, palm oils and palm kernal oil which are saturated fats.
* Solid fats such as shortening, partially hydrogenated margarine and lard.
* Fried foods.

Lowering cholesterol does not mean that you cut out all the fats. You just exchange them. The above guidelines should help you determine how to do this.

There is a lot of focus on cutting back on the fats in the food we eat but did you know that there are beverages that can help lower cholesterol? Studies have shown that green tea has a lot of powerful antioxidants that help lower cholesterol and can even lower blood pressure.

Orange juice contains folic acids that help lower homocysteine levels in the body. High homocysteine levels can cause cholesterol to change into oxidized low density lipoprotein which can damage the arteries. It can also make blood clot easier and increase the risk of blockages.

Grape juice is loaded with certain antioxidants that help prevent red blood cells from clumping together to form clots.

Research has proven that having 1 to 3 ounces of wine a day can lower your risk of heart attack. But do not drink it if you have an alcohol dependency problem or high blood pressure.

Keeping your cholesterol at a healthy level takes some effort on your part. Lose weight, exercise, quit smoking and eat healthily. This may seem like a lot to some but you only have one heart. It is your responsibility to take good care of it.

Dawn Robertshaw has written numerous articles and ebooks on coping with life in the 21st century. For more free articles, tips, advice and a range of health and relationship targeted information products in written and audio form for immediate download visit us at http://www.InThe21stCentury.com

Sorry Service vs. Thankful Service

2007-01-29T08:23:00.000-08:00

By Scott Ginsberg

Imagine you’re waiting in line at the airport.

A really LONG line.

BAD NEWS: you’ve missed your connecting flight. There’s no way you’ll make it to your meeting on time.

After about twenty-five frustrating minutes, you finally approach the counter. You throw down your luggage, put your hands on your hips and exclaim, “You know, I’ve been waiting here for nearly half an hour!”

And the first words out of the front desk agent’s mouth are, “I’m sooooo sorry. See, what happened was…”

No.

You don’t want to hear “Sorry.”

Sorry doesn’t cut it.
Sorry doesn’t make you feel better.
Sorry doesn’t put the delicious Triscuit crackers in your stomach, now does it?

NEW RULE: customers don’t want to hear the word “Sorry.” Certainly an apology never hurts, and I'm not suggesting you eliminate the word "Sorry." But remember:

It’s negative.
It’s usually followed by excuses.
It’s focused on the wrong person. (i.e., NOT the customer)

A great suggestion is to replace (or at least combine) “Sorry” with “Thanks.”

Thanking (instead of apologizing) just sounds better. And it demonstrates empathy and concern. What’s more, it immediately puts a positive spin on an otherwise negative encounter.

Let’s go back to the airport example for a minute. Which one of the following phrases would you, as the customer, rather hear?

1. “I’m sorry you’ve been waiting such a long time, sir.”
2. “Thanks for putting up with the long line, sir!"

My money’s on number two. And here’s why.

“Sorry” is problem-oriented. It sucks the positivity out of a conversation. In fact, it’s such a negative word that it actually elicits more of the same.

Here, I’ll prove it to you. Stop reading this article for a sec and say aloud (in your best customer service voice), “I’m so sorry you had to wait…”

Kind of hard to follow that phrase with a positive comment, isn’t it?
Kind or hard to articulate that phrase with a smile, isn’t it?

In most cases, “Sorry” is followed by more apologies, more excuses and more complaints. No good.

On the other hand, “Thanks” is solution-oriented. It plasters positivity into a conversation. In fact, it’s such an optimistic word that it actually elicits more of the same.

Once again, let me prove it to you. Stop reading this article for a sec and say aloud (in your best customer service voice), “Thank you for waiting…”

Aha! Sounds a lot better, doesn’t it?

Kind of hard to follow that phrase with a negative comment, isn’t it?
Kind of hard to articulate that phrase without a smile, isn’t it?

See, in most cases, “Thanks” is followed by more solutions, more positives and more focus on the customer.

So, instead of apologizing, here’s a quick list of ways to thank your customers:

“Thanks for waiting.”
“Thanks for your patience.”
“Thanks for telling me that.”
“Thanks for pointing that out.”
“Thanks for coming in tonight.”
“Thanks for putting up with us.”
“Thanks for bringing that to our attention.”

In closing, let’s explore Sorry Service vs. Thankful Service in a completely different context: dating.

Let’s say you’re on a hot date.

It’s almost midnight. Fearing that you will morph into a pumpkin, your new squeeze drops you off at home. And as the two of you approach the front door, he or she says one of the following things:

“I’m so sorry you had to go out with me tonight. I know I was late, and the dinner kind of sucked. And I swear to God that’s the first time I’ve ever run over someone’s cat before!”

Or.

“Thanks for going out with me tonight. I had a blast. We really connected! And I would love to do it again sometime.”

LET ME ASK YA THIS... Which one would you want to hear?

Scott Ginsberg, aka "The Nametag Guy," is the internationally recognized author of three books and a professional speaker who helps businesspeople make a name for themselves - one conversation at a time. To book Scott for your next association meeting, conference or corporate event, contact HELLO, my name is Scott! at 314/256-1800 or email scott@hellomynameisscott.com

Focus on Quitting Smoking

2007-01-28T09:11:00.000-08:00

By Jason D

In 1999 Hatsukami, D. Mooney wrote an article, “Pharmacological and Behavioral Strategies for Smoking Cessation”, that stated, “the more intensively you focus on quitting smoking, the higher your odds of quitting.” Could this be true? Merely by focusing on quitting smoking isn’t really quitting smoking so how could it increase your odds of quitting?

As I contemplated this and reflected on the last time I quit smoking I discovered that what Mooney stated carries a lot of weight. It also occurred to me that focusing on quitting smoking was one of the top reasons why I was able to quit smoking when I did. The more I thought about it I saw just how much I was focusing on quitting smoking months before I even quit. It started out with simply searching the Internet on smoking and methods to quit smoking. Considering what would work best for me. I even tried a couple products that claimed to help people quit smoking only to fail, no fault of the product I just wasn’t ready. This only fueled my passion to quit smoking.

Next, I started to look into the many health risks of smoking and the benefits of quitting. I was excited to see that much of the damage I have been doing to my body all these years was for the most part repairable. And that there were immediate benefits of quitting smoking and that millions of people have successfully quit smoking.

For two months before I actually quit smoking I focused intently on quitting. I look back and remember the pamphlets, brochures, websites, and forums. I thought about quitting smoking every time I had a cigarette. I felt I was always thinking about smoking and looking for information on how to quit. I was mentally priming myself to actually quit smoking and by focusing on it daily even though I had not quit was instrumental on the day I actually quit. If you are considering quitting smoking I would suggest you do the same thing, focus on quitting. Surround yourself with literature, visit informational websites, and even visit quit smoking forums and get involved. Read how others quit and when you feel comfortable start posting yourself. This too helps on focusing to quit smoking by introducing a level of accountability.

Visit Jason D's website for additional information on the Quit Smoking Programs and Effective Ways to Quit Smoking.

Triple Approach to Making Goals

2007-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

By Evelyn Cole

At the beginning of every year you see far too many articles on how to keep resolutions and set goals you can make. Oh, such good advice!

One article shows you how to set one big goal for the year and then break it down into quarterly, monthly, weekly, and daily segments. Furthermore, it tells you to write all that down as well as your accomplishments each day regarding your daily segment.

You do that for each of your goals. Let's hope you don't have more than two goals and then decide you want to lose ten pounds.

That is the conscious, left-brained approach.

Another article tells you that you need to program your subconscious mind to put it in synch with your conscious desires and goals. I've written several of these. This can be done through hypnosis, self-hypnosis, directed writing, and, above all, repetition. It works like subliminal advertising and can even motivate you to write down all that stuff the left-brained guys tell you to do.

Those trained in neuro-linguistic programming echo my thesis that goal setting and accomplishment needs the cooperation of the subconscious mind. To the concept of repetition they emphasize adding the appropriate emotion so the programming will take hold. For example, if you set a goal to complete a degree by a certain date in order to make more money but do not have a passionate interest in the coursework, the programming won't hold.

Or, if you have a goal to save enough money to quit your lousy job but don't have another job or business in mind that really attracts you, no matter how strong your negative feeling is your subconscious won't help. But, when you add a strong feeling toward something you want badly, your subconscious will help you get it.

Unless, of course, you get caught in psychological reversal. That's called PR in some circles-not marketing ones.

Psychological reversal means some part of your psyche does not want you to have what you consciously think that you want. That part of your psyche was drummed into you through repetition years ago and is lodged in your body. It can be uncovered and released through a combination of specific affirmations and tapping acupressure points.

This is the third approach. So, if you have not yet met your monthly goal or have given up setting goals, you can find out why. Meanwhile, forgive and accept yourself every day. Why not?

Cole’s chief aim in life is to convince everyone to understand the power of the subconscious mind and synchronize it with goals of the conscious mind.

Tips to Prevent Wrinkles

2007-01-28T09:08:00.000-08:00

By Alex Fir

There are lots of reasons why you may get wrinkles. However, you will continue to get more wrinkles and they can even expand if you do not take measures early on to prevent them. There are numerous types of wrinkle products available. Cosmetic surgeries and home remedies can help you to reduce the wrinkles. But, you should know that there are also many different resources available to help you to prevent even more wrinkles from showing up.

- Stay out of the sun. Using sunscreen anytime that you go outside is the best way to keep age spots and wrinkles at bay. Although the largest part of people does not realize it, sun is one of the worst factors for your skin. It sucks out the moisture and the UV light can cause much more grave conditions then just wrinkles, such as skin cancer.

- Have a daily routine. Having a good cleansing routine will also help to keep your skin healthy and glowing. There are lots of ways to do this, but you should keep in mind several key things. Use a cleanser that will remove make up and dirt from your skin, without drying it out. If your skin is dry, apply a moisturizer. You also want to include an exfoliating product into your treatment because this will help to remove the top layers of dead skin.

- Have a diet rich in antioxidants. This can help you to remove the wrinkles that you already have. A diet that is rich in vegetables is the ideal place to begin. Eat deep colored vegetables for the very best results.

Alex Fir provides proven tips on how to get beautiful, glowing skin. Find out more about how to stay wrinkle free here: anti wrinkle cream.

How To Prolong Your Apple iPod Battery’s Life?

2007-01-28T09:07:00.000-08:00

By Ricky Lim

The Apple iPod is the most popular portable mp3 player today. Like many users, I have been thinking of ways to prolong the lifespan of my Apple iPod battery. Here are 5 tips that will help to improve your Apple iPod battery lifespan.

Before I start, it is important to update your iPod firmware to the latest version. For example the iPod firmware version 1.2 provides better power management features for your iPod battery.

1. Backlight Settings

You can set the iPod backlight timer setting to minimum. I have set mine to 3 seconds. That means when there is no activity for 3 second, the iPod will turn off the backlight automatically. You can even switch it to off if you are using the iPod in bright areas.

2. Brightness Settings

For Apple ipod firmware version 1.2 and above, you should be able to access the brightness control. You can go then iPod Menu, then select Settings and lastly Brightness. By reducing the brightness, it can help to reduce the power drain from the iPod battery.

Unless you are watching videos on your iPod, I usually reduce the brightness to about 40 percent when listening to mp3.

3. Charging Your Apple iPod Battery

Try to avoid frequent full discharges because this can cause strain on your iPod battery. There is no harm in charging a battery even if is is not totally drained.

4. Keep Your iPod Battery Cool

Heat is the most common reason for the short life span of iPod battery. Try to avoid putting your iPod in the sun for long periods of time.

Always remember to put your iPod in sleep mode when you are not using it. This helps to save battery life.

5. Avoid Frequent Changing of Tracks

Since the iPod uses the same type of technology to store data as your computer, frequent changing of tracks means the iPod has to continuously access the internal iPod hard disk. In this case, the hard disk has to be continuously spinning and can reduce battery life.

By implementing these 5 tips, you can help to prolong the lifespan of your Apple iPod battery.

Ricky is an avid iPod fan who runs an iPod newsletter. Visit his site for more ipod information such as the apple ipod shuffle review.

Top 10 Mistakes Homebased Business Newbies Make

2007-01-28T09:01:00.000-08:00

By Britt Phillips

Sure there are countless home based business opportunities. There are multi level marketing programs, nutritionals, one up and two up plans. There are many niche based opportunities with something to appeal to anyone looking for where they fit in.

The enticement of course for most is the income they can generate as a result of the work at home program they sign up in. However joining a business opportunity in and of itself is not going to ensure your success. Here are ten very common mistakes most people make when getting started with a business opportunity.

1) Not carefully interviewing the company representative or sponsor prior to sending the money to sign up. This is where many future problems can be avoided before they even start. There are several important questions that should always be asked.

2) Buying in to hype without asking to see any proof of success. Does it really make any logical sense to sign up with anyone in any type of business opportunity that isn't having any personal success they can show?

3) Signing up with any type of program that requires a monthly fee or balancing act in order to qualify to earn money. Again, it makes no logical sense. In this scenario the only people who make money are the people who set up the program.

4) Signing up with a program or person that does not have a clearly defined marketing plan. This one is critical. Marketing is a key factor. And unfortunately 99% of the people pushing any type of MLM or business opportunity are totally clueless as to what it really takes to market online effectively.

5) Not having the right Internet Marketing tools. There are some really inexpensive and yet incredibly effective marketing tools available today. Unfortunately most people have not taken the time to prepare a list of tested marketing tools to pass along to their team to help ensure their overall success. This is not something you should have to find on your own. If you sign up with someone who has their act together they will already have these tools in place. They will be able to point you in the right direction.

6) Not taking full advantage of technology. Today there are remarkable ways to automate much of the sales process. It is insane not to tap in to what is available.

7) Listening to people who make it up as they go because it's all they know. There are many who fall into this category. Learn to use your common sense and BS detector to combat this.

8) Buying Leads!!! Buying leads has got to be one of the top mistakes the average person involved with any opportunity makes. Lead and list brokers will lie and have absolutely zero problem doing it. The only way to be sure the leads you get are fresh, targeted, and qualified is to generate them yourself. And even if you don't know how to effectively generate leads yourself, the person you interview should be able to show you their proven system that does not require you to purchase leads from a company or individual that is in the sole business of selling leads.

9) Idle promotion. By this I mean sitting back and waiting for the site traffic and sales to come. Many simply do not understand their is effort required to have success.

10) Laziness is last but far from least on this list. It's very simple. Those who put in the effort and put away the excuses are who will realize their dreams.

This is a short list. It's also a very accurate one. It's not meant to discourage anyone from pursuing their dreams. It's meant to paint a very realistic picture. Never give up on your dreams. Never let anyone talk you out of your dreams. And never talk yourself out of them either.

Britt Phillips is a self-made millionaire and one of the all time top income earners in the history of the Coastal Vacations business opportunity. Britt has been teaching students on his success team for eleven years. Britt devotes the time, energy, and effort into his team and works with them to ensure their success. To contact Britt Phillips call him direct at 804-897-2274 or visit computermillions.com

David Copperfield - Still the Man!

2007-01-28T08:59:00.000-08:00

By Dion Semeniuk

The Team at This is Magic had the pleasure of going to go see David Copperfield live on stage this past week performing his Intimate Night of Grand Illusion. All we can say is, WOW! David Copperfield if the man!

Where do we begin? Oh, how about the beginning of the show, that’s a good place. When you’re David Copperfield, you need to make a grand entrance and that he did. Out of no where, in front of the stage, in the blink of an eye, he appears in the flesh sitting on top of a motorcycle with his trademark looks and smile. From there on we know we are all in for one hell of a night of illusion and entertainment.

What made this show so great was his interaction with the audience. He would routinely throw out frisbees or large inflated balls at random to pick members from the audience to participate in his next effect so you knew nothing was pre-planned.

There were so many great tricks that he did and the comedy to go with it kept the audience in stitches. Who new David Copperfield was so funny? To keep this short we’ll highlight some of the standout routines from the night.

Body Through Steel

He dazzled us with him giving the illusion that he could pass his body right through a thick piece of steel (sort of the same illusion of him walking through the Great Wall of China). Very cool, and no idea of how he pulled that off.

Lottery Number Predictions

This effect had a lot of build up and story behind it. The story being about his grandfather not speaking to him because he wanted to grow up as a magician which his grandfather did not approve of. He did not talk to his grandfather for many years and he ended up passing away. But David remembers doing his first show at 15 years old and thought he saw his grandfather at the back of the room watching but was never sure. When he passed away, they found the ticket stub from that show in his grandfather’s home so he knew he was there to see him succeed. He then described how his grandfather always played the lottery and only owned 2 cars and kept the license plates of them and that he always dreamed of owning a Green Lincoln but never did. So he goes ahead and picks at random members from the audience to pick numbers between 1 and 50 and he sprays paint them on a big sheet on stage and as well asks them to tell them something personal about themselves as well and writes that down as well (there was a lot of comedy into that part as well).

During this whole presentation there was a case hanging above the stage that no one has touched and it was lowered down and opened up by an audience member which revealed a cassette tape and predictions in a bag. Of course, he plays the tape which has him speaking and rattling off the numbers the audience members chose and the papers reveal the personal stuff that the audience had told him.

And last but not least, he revealed the two license plates that his grandfather kept and of course the numbers on them matched the numbers written down as well. And for the kicker ending, he made the Green Lincoln car appear out of no where in seconds on the stage.

Transport Audience Member to Australia

Another grand illusion. In a nutshell, he took an audience member who apparently has not spoken to her father in years who had moved to Australia and wanted to reunite with him. No problem for David. He had someone sign his arm, someone take a picture of the audience members on stage holding a board that had a random picture on it and signed so that they could take that photograph with them to prove they were really in Australia on the beach by the ocean. Away they went into a booth above the audience, and poof, next thing you know they have a live satellite feed showing them on a big screen appearing out of no where showing her running around the beach and into the ocean. She then shows the picture of the audience members they had taken and David shows his arm with the same signature. Unbelievable and we know the writing of this trying to explain what happened does not do this effect justice, you need to see it to believe it. Then David leaves the beach and magically appears in the middle of the audience!

Others

There were many other effects that we won’t touch on in depth but were just as worthy mentioning. Like the duck in barrel routine, very funny. The duck would disappear from a box and reappear in a barrel held by an audience member. Then he would do it in slow motion to show how the trick was done but not really. Another effect was in theory getting a girl pregnant without touching her, another comical routine. Also, having a scorpion pick a card from deck of cards that was the card selected by an audience member. And many others that we could go on and on about.

All we can say is if you ever get a chance to see David Copperfield live, go! You will not regret it as it is worth every penny! We had two standing ovations for him before he left the stage.

Dion Semeniuk is part of the team at This is Magic that continue to follow the current events in the magic community. For free magic tricks, please visit their Magic Trick Store website.

SEO and the Fold

2007-01-28T08:57:00.000-08:00

By Halstatt Pires

Most discussions about seo focus on getting into the top 10 of the rankings for a particular keyword phrase. In truth, the discussion should be about the fold.

SEO stands for search engine optimization. It means the task and art of getting a site ranked highly under appropriate keyword phrases on Google, Yahoo, MSN and smaller search engines. For example, assume you have a site offering cruise ship booking services. With seo, the goal would be to get the site ranked under keyword phrases like “cruise trips”, “cruise bookings”, “cruise packages” and so on. The exact phrases would be determined by your keyword research.

Whatever the subject of your site, the search engine optimization efforts can lead to some dissatisfaction if you don’t understand something. People will slave over their sites or pay someone like myself to do it for them. The seo effort goes on and on for months. One day, your site pops to number 8 on Google for one of your major keyword phrases. Ah, finally! While you are browsing for your new Ferrari, you happen to notice you aren’t seeing massive sales. Furthermore, your traffic is up, but not as much as you had expected. What is the problem? It all has to do with the fold.

The fold is one of those terms that derive from the short attention span of we humans. Simply put, we tend to be lazy. This applies in a particular way when we search for something on the web. Go ahead and open another window next to this article. Now search for something. Now notice that you can only see three to four of the natural rankings returned by the search engine for your search. These rankings are above the fold. Anything you have to scroll down to see is below the fold.

The seo goal of being in the top 10 is somewhat misleading. Yes, a top 10 ranking will result in more traffic to your site. The real goal, however, should be a ranking above the fold. This means you need to be in the top three to four positions. A vast majority of people searching for something on Google, Yahoo and MSN will not scroll down to look at anything below the top three to four listings. If you can get your site listed above the fold, then it is time to start shopping for your Ferrari!

Halstatt Pires is with Marketing Titan - providing internet marketing services.

American Idol’s Top 7 Lessons for Job Seekers

2007-01-27T08:53:00.000-08:00

By Bonnie Lowe

The Fox network’s hit reality show American Idol (AI) is watched by millions of viewers. Whether or not you’re a fan of the show, it has some valuable lessons if you’re in the market for a new job.

After all, an audition is very much like a job interview, and the panel of judges are like hiring managers--some are encouraging, sensitive and polite, while others can be negative, insensitive and downright mean. (Fortunately, most hiring managers are more like AI judges Randy Jackson or Paula Abdul than judge Simon Cowell.)

Here are seven lessons job seekers can learn from AI:

1. Determine whether you’ve chosen the right career path.

Many of us fantasize about being a rich and famous pop star or rock singer. Very few of us actually decide to pursue that as a serious career path.

During the second episode of the 2007 season of AI, Simon said to one contestant, “This is not the career path for you.” That was actually kinder than most of his rejections, but he made a valid point. As with any type of job, just fantasizing about doing it is not enough. Even wanting it more than anything in the world is not enough. You have to be right for the career, and the career has to be right for you.

See related Lesson 3.

2. Research the position and the company.

This season a contestant told the panel he’d seen only one or two episodes of AI and wasn’t a fan. That’s like saying during an interview, “I haven’t bothered to read the job description or research your company. But I think this place sucks.”

Many contestants are shocked at Simon’s scathing comments. Haven’t they ever watched the show? They should not only watch it, they should record every episode and study every comment and decision made by the judges!

Doing research about the position and the company is one of the most important—and most often ignored—steps you can take to boost your chances of success. With the world of information available on the Internet, there’s no excuse for not doing such research.

3. Know your strengths and make sure you have the right skills for the job.

This is probably more difficult for AI contestants than regular job seekers. Some are clearly delusional about their singing talent (or lack thereof). But many are encouraged to compete by their friends, family members, and even singing coaches who rave about their abilities!

One female contestant who had been rejected by all three judges refused to accept their apparent failure to recognize her talent. “I’ve had 10 years of formal singing lessons!” she argued. “My coach says I have great talent!”

Don’t rely on opinions from family or friends -- or paid coaches whose motive is to suck your money by encouraging you to keep trying (and keep paying them).

If doing an accurate self-assessment would be difficult, try to get honest opinions from people who have no reason to spare your feelings, nor incentive to lie.

Discover your true strengths—and your weaknesses. Compare your strengths, talents and skills to those required for the position, and make sure they match.

4. Anticipate likely questions; prepare great answers.

“Why are you here?” and “Do you really think you can win?” are questions often asked of AI contestants. All should expect those questions and be prepared to answer them.

As with many job interview questions, they seem unnecessary because the answers should be obvious, right? But even with such simple, basic questions, the answers will vary quite a bit—and often give the interviewer good insights into the personality of those giving them.

Taking the “Do you really think you can win?” question as an example and compare these actual answers:

Contestant One: “Yes.”
Contestant Two: “Absolutely! I’ve been an AI fan since the beginning. I know what you’re looking for, and I’m going to rock your world!”

While some may think that second answer is a bit much, it made Simon and the other judges visible sit up and pay close attention—quite an accomplishment when you consider the volume of excruciatingly bad auditions those exhausted judges had already endured that day!

What you say is very important; but so is how you say it.

5. Personality matters.

The winner of AI is rarely the best singer. That’s simply not enough. He or she must also have a personality that fits the image of an idol; one that people will love.

Likewise, the winner of a job interview is not necessarily the person with the best skills. Personality matters. An interview is no place to be timid or low-key… or arrogant and loud. People want to hire people they like. Let your likeable (yet professional) personality show.

6. Don’t take it personally if you don’t get the job.

The odds of winning the AI contest are astronomical, even for extraordinarily talented singers. Yet many contestants are heartbroken, shocked, or outraged when they find out they won’t be receiving the “golden ticket” that allows them to advance to the next round. Some swear at the judges and even look ready punch someone (usually Simon) in the face (no wonder beefy security men are lurking just out of sight of the cameras)!

AI fans may remember William Hung. He was virtually laughed off the stage during his audition. But despite being unanimously rejected, he became sought-after and famous (for a while) in his own right. This would never have happened if he’d shown anger, disgust, or arrogance at not “getting the job.”

For every available job, there are likely dozens of highly qualified applicants. Accept that the odds are usually against you.

Disappointment is natural. But becoming angry at the decision maker will do you absolutely no good. Remain professional, receive feedback graciously, and think about how to improve your chances of winning the next job. You never know what other opportunities you may be sabotaging if you show negative behavior!

7. Don’t give up on your dreams.

Can you imagine if former AI contestant (and current successful singer and Academy Award nominee) Jennifer Hudson had given up on her dreams after being voted off the show during the third season?

Persevere! If you truly have the talent, skills, and passion to fulfill your dreams, and you’ve accepted the lessons of this article, don’t let anyone discourage you.

Go forth and live the life you’ve imagined!

Bonnie Lowe is author of the popular Job Interview Success System and free information-packed ezine, "Career-Life Times." Find those and other powerful career-building resources and tips at her website: http://www.Best-Interview-Strategies.com

Beating the Dow with Bonds!

2007-01-27T08:51:00.000-08:00

By Don Heggen

Beating the Dow with Bonds, is 1/3 of an extremely successful asset allocation strategy outlined in a book by the same name.

Numerous financial studies conclude that proper asset allocation, which is another name for money management, is responsible for more than 85 percent of investment portfolio results. Specific investment selection (buying one particular stock or bond over another) accounts for less than 15 percent.

In 1991, Michael B. O'Higgins, one of the nation's top money managers, revolutionized the investment industry by asserting that investors could beat the pros 95 percent of the time by putting 100 percent of their money into the "dog" stocks of the Dow. His book, Beating the Dow, became a bestselling investment classic and spawned an industry of websites and mutual funds, elevating the theory to legendary status.

In 1999, with equities dangerously overvalued and stock prices at an all-time high, the author turned his attention to bonds, providing a proven system for achieving the lowest risk, highest returns in, not only the then current chaotic stock market, but in any market.

Requiring less than five minutes per year, investors with as little as $5000 could beat the pros 95 percent of the time, regardless of market conditions.

Utilizing a simple, proven method for mastering the market by determining the best asset allocation investment choices among stocks, bonds, and riskless cash equivalents, the Beating the Dow with Bonds method provides a safer, more reliable way to beat the Dow, and outperform the pros, even when stocks go south.

A wake-up call for the equity obsessed, and an invaluable guide for the rational investor.

Because No One Cares More About Your Money Than You

http://dynamic-stock-market-strategies.com

Good trading,

Don Heggen

How to Prepare for Your New Puppy

2007-01-27T08:27:00.000-08:00

By Terence Roberts

One of the most exciting events for a family or an individual is bringing home a new puppy. Unfortunately, many people don’t organize themselves or their home for the new arrival. There are several things that can be done to make your puppy's first few hours in its new home pleasant and enjoyable. Most of the activities are very simple and will just require a few minutes of time and attention to complete.

Having the right supplies

The following items should be purchased and set up prior to the puppy's or puppies' arrival:

* Stainless steel or rigid plastic non-tip food and water bowls

* Crate of the appropriate size

* Soft, washable bedding for inside the crate

* Variety of chew toys and play toys

* Leash or lead and collar of the appropriate size

* Food that is the same as the puppy or puppies are currently being fed (same brand, flavor, etc)

In addition, depending on your house or puppy room area, you may also need to get some baby gates to contain the puppy in a specific room or to prevent them from going up or down stairs.

Safety considerations

Puppies are a lot like small children: they will want to investigate everything. Puppies learn by chewing and mouthing as much as they learn by looking and smelling. By spending a bit of time puppy-proofing your home you can be assured that your puppy will be safe. The following are puppy-proofing tips:

* Remove all electrical cords from the puppies' reach. This means that they may have to be disconnected from the wall and the appliance moved. Puppies may chew on the cord either at the wall or the appliance end so it is easiest to remove the appliance to protect the cord and keep the puppy safe if the wire is plugged in.

* Remove or pull up all hanging items such as tablecloths, floor length curtains, curtain or blind pulls, hanging plants or other items that dangle temptingly in the puppies' reach. Curtain and blind pulls are especially dangerous as they can easily become wrapped around the puppies’ neck.

* Remove all houseplants. Many common houseplants are poisonous to dogs. Unless you know for sure that the plant is not poisonous remove it from the room. Most puppies will naturally chew on plants, so if you want the plant to remain intact removing it's the best idea.

* Remove all shoes, backpacks, leather items, remote controls, cordless phones, children’s toys, stuffed animals, throw pillows or anything else that could potentially be fun to play with.

Remember that while puppies are very energetic, you don't need to puppy proof the whole house, just the rooms that he or she will be in unsupervised. Crate training is a great way to minimize the amount of puppy proofing that needs to occur to keep your new arrival safe and healthy.

Be sure that the puppy is allowed to settle into the area and that they're given appropriate times to go outside to relieve themselves. Puppies usually will need to go outside at least every three hours, and usually within 20 minutes of eating or drinking. After napping or after playing they'll also need to be taken outside. By allowing lots of trips outside and positively praising them for relieving themselves in the right area, you'll find that housetraining is not difficult.

Special care for puppies involves a lot of prevention. Be sure to get down on the floor and look around at what might be fun for a puppy to chew on or might pose a safety hazard. Have the food, water, toys and crate ready when your puppy gets home and you and your puppy or puppies will be off to a great start together.

Terry Roberts is a professional translator and linguist, with a wide range of interests. To read more about preparing to welcome your new puppy - and about dogs in general - visit his website http://www.livingwithadog.com

What Makes American Idol So Popular?

2007-01-27T08:26:00.000-08:00

By Alan LeStourgeon

American Idol is the most popular TV reality show ever produced and as it enters its sixth season there aren't any signs of a let up. For this season more than one hundred thousand people audition for the right to be crowned America's next idol and stand next to Taylor Hicks, Carrie Underwood, Fantasia, Ruben Studdard and Kelly Clarkson.

Last year American Idol was the most watched show on TV. But what makes it so popular? The reasons are many but can be summed up in two distinct categories.

First, we love to see people bomb out big time. For the sheer entertainment factor, there's hardly something more interesting than watching someone who is sure they are the next Idol, face a good dose of reality. We all think, "Why didn't someone, somewhere along the way, sit down with this person and tell them they didn't have what it takes?" It is usually left up to the Idol judges and especially Simon Cowell to break the bad news to them. And even though Simon says some off the wall things, much of what the says, needs to be said.

It is also fun to watch the truly bizarre and every season on American Idol we get full exposure to the bizarre. We certainly wouldn't vote for someone dressed as Apollo Creed, or that has their face painted, or appears to have invented some new strange dance as the next Idol, but we do find great entertainment value in the circus side of the show.

The second, and biggest reason American Idol is so popular is because we, as the public, get to choose who has the talent and wins our hearts. There isn't anything better than seeing someone like Kellie Pickler's hard luck story and then getting to be a part of, and witness her rise to stardom. Who wasn't touched by a regular, unpretentious guy like Elliott Yamin who's surprising voice and devotion to his mom charmed us all and created an incredibly loyal fan base. And of course let's not forget the winners like Taylor Hicks going to his top 12 interview playing the harmonica or Carrie Underwood's emotion and thankfulness on the night she was crowned an American Idol.

All along the Idol selection process we develop relationships with our favorite contestants. One night we favor someone because they sang our favorite song, then next week our choice doesn't do so well and we feel their pain. We may even switch loyalties during the process because we see character revealed during the grueling rise to stardom, character we don't particularly like.

The bottom line though is that the winner of American Idol is America's choice, not the choice of a boy band producer, a greedy agent, a radio station network or any other fake deal. There isn't anything fake about American Idol. There isn't anything fake about unknown underdogs living regular lives, suddenly becoming household names.

There's even the counter culture of American Idol that's takes Idol wannabes like William Hung and makes them famous or takes the likes of Jonathan Jayne and Kenneth Briggs and cheers them on as they gain popularity after a particularly rude comment from Simon. This is the Idol process and we all get to participate in it.

The only thing left to determine is, who will be the next American Idol?

Alan LeStourgeon runs the American Idol News blog where he writes about Idol contestants, posts various Idol videos and participates in the American Idol process.

I'm Proud of You my Princess

2007-01-27T08:24:00.000-08:00

By Paul Davis

Every princess needs
A prince to love her
And a king to father her.
My beloved princess
This is a letter to express
My thankfulness
Recognition and acknowledgment
Of your patient personal progress
Your journey toward self fulfillment
Your commitment to daily grow
Mature, find, and flow
In all that the King has for you
As you His glorious daughter
Move beyond frivolous fodder
Foolishness and frowardness of heart
Realizing that unto your King and prince
You are a delightful work of art
A woman of noble character
Becoming increasingly inwardly greater
As you behold your King
Experience transformation in everything
Find new spiritual songs to elegantly sing
Move beyond the pain of the past
Disappointment and disillusionment's sting
Access your gifts and prepare to bring
Unto your King a blessed offering
Terrific talents, outstanding ability
Possessing within your soul regal tranquility
Embracing change wholeheartedly
Believing and knowing assuredly
That which the King has prepared for thee
Is ultimately best for you and me
Therefore together shall we
Move ahead boldly and fearlessly
Being motivated rather than intimated
Becoming better rather than bitter
Remembering that from brokenness
Comes unprecedented breakthrough
From a despicable mess
Can come a magnificent message
From deep personal pain
Can come the power to rule and reign
Overcome all obstacles
Conquer every challenge
Master every emotion
Discover new depths of devotion
Harness a hungering human will
Yearning for direction, adventure, and thrill
Maximizing every moment
Talking yourself through soulish torment
Courageously providing for yourself encouragement
Toward people resolve not to resent
Yet pertaining to your convictions not to relent
Confidently and courageously standing forth
As the prized and precious princess who is sent
To be an emissary, ambassador, and agent
Of the heavenly King and kingdom
For this live and from it never run.
The Governor is in, with, and for you
That is the Spirit of the Lord
Always ready to give you a fresh Word
Cut through darkness like a sword
Sweetly melt and woo you Godward
Lovingly does He adore and implore you
During your hardest moments to stay true
Because Christ your King is in you
The anointing in, with, and on you
To bless all you say and do
Complete the work He's begun in you.
Therefore princess I entreat you
To walk worthy of the heavenly calling
Keep kneeling and praying
Upholding, honoring, and glorifying
The King of heaven and earth
Who has given you the new birth
Life more abundantly
Enabling you to live triumphantly
Princess you have come a long way
I salute you for the price you do pay
To differentiate yourself from the crowd
To hold your tongue
When you want to scream loud
To think before you speak
To remain humble, mild, and meek
Princess I am truly proud of you
For all you are and all you do
A new day of blessing has come
Have fun while you get the job done
Be the King's daughter wholesome
Happy, harnessed, and exemplary
Mindful of things beyond the temporary
Who others can learn from and follow
As they behold your dignity and know
Of whom you are and whom you serve
From the King of kings you'll not swerve
Sail on therefore princess into the sunlight
Wise woman of God be to the world a light
Gentle and powerful princess shine bright
Knowing of you I am proud and approving
As in the Spirit you are living and moving.

Paul Davis is a FL real estate professional, life coach (relational & professional), worldwide minister, and change master.

Contact Paul to minister, speak at your event or for life coaching: RevivingNations@yahoo.com, 407-284-1705.

The History Of Important Flowering Trees

2007-01-27T08:22:00.000-08:00

By Patrick Malcolm

Most flowering trees are small and can be planted in full sun or partial shade, being easily adapted to small yards. The Japanese Saucer Magnolia, Magnolia x Soulangiana, awakens in late winter or early spring. First growing flower buds that increase in size as the weather warms up, burst into dramatic flower colors of purple, pink, white, red, and yellow; the yellow flowering magnolia is the rarest. If freezing weather occurs, as it often does during the late winter or early spring, the flowers will wither from the tree, but most often will rebloom, as the weather warms up again.

Crabapple flowering trees are cloud-like, fluffy white, pink or red in color, and often bloom along with the flowering dogwood trees and the pink redbud trees. The white dogwood, Cornus florida, flowering trees are among the most generally planted and grafted pink dogwood cultivars, and red dogwood trees are available to buy commercially, but are much more expensive. White dogwood trees, Cornus florida, were discovered and described as growing in Florida and Alabama in 1773, by the famous American botanist and explorer, William Bartram, who wrote in his book, Travels, page 399, "We now entered a very remarkable grove of Dogwood Trees (Cornus Florida) ... an ... admirable grove by way of eminence has acquired the name of the Dogwoods ... spacious groves of this fine flowering tree, which must, in the Spring season, when covered with blooms, present a most pleasing scene."

Flowering cherry trees in the primitive wild forests were described by William Bartram, in his book Travels, on page 196, as "delightful grove of ... Prunus Caroliniana, a most beautiful evergreen, decorated with its sweet, white blossoms." This flowering cherry tree today is known as the Cherry Laurel, and is in high demand as an evergreen privacy screen that produces in late spring, fragrant white flowers. American gardeners have been struck with the beauty of the long list of varieties of Japanese, flowering cherry trees. The most important Japanese flowering cherry tree is the Kwanzan, Prunus serrulata 'Kwanzan', that grows splendidly as a beautiful garden specimen, abundantly clothed in early spring with large, double-flowering blossoms, that grows up to 25 feet tall. 350 of these trees were planted in Washington, D.C., in 1912, by the First Lady, wife of President Taft, and 1800 Yoshino flowering cherries were planted at the same time. In 1935, the first National Cherry Blossom Festival was held at the Nation's Capitol, and since then, many other Cherry Blossom City festivals have been held to celebrate the birth of spring. Citizens of Macon, Georgia have planted thousands of these Yoshino flowering cherry trees to connect with many pageants and local events, which attract large numbers of tourists to celebrate the festival. These Japanese, flowering cherry trees are cold hardy, and recommended to be grown and planted in zones 5 – 9. Other popular Japanese cultivars are; Blireiana, Prunus cerasifera 'Blireiana'; Kwansan, Prunus serrulata 'Kwansan'; Okame, Prunus campanulata x Prunus incisa; Snow Fountain, Prunus x Snow Fountains 'Snowfozam'; Snow Fountain (Dwarf), Prunus x CV. 'Snofozam'; Yoshino (Akebone), Prunus yedoenis ‘Akebone';

William Bartram observed two other native plants that were flowering trees growing near Mobile, Alabama, on page 396 of Travels, "I observed amongst them wild Crab (Pyrus coronaria), and Prunus indica, or wild Plumb." The wild "Plumb" tree, Prunus indica, that Bartram saw, identified today was the Chicasaw plum, Prunus angustifolia. In his travels throughout Georgia, Bartram found a native flowering plum, Prunus indica. Flowering plum tree hybrids that are commercially available from mail order gardeners are a stunning, reddish-purple leaf plum, named Newport, Prunus cerasifera 'Newport', that grows 20 feet tall and thrives in zones 4 – 10; Purple Pony, Prunus cerasifera 'Purple Pony', a genetic dwarf growing only to 10 feet and decked in flowers colored red, pink, and white; Thundercloud, Prunus cerasifera 'Thundercloud', grows copper-red leaves, that after flowering, produces a delicious, edible, red plum fruit, zone 5 – 9.

Crabapple flowering trees are reliable bloomers with soft, fluffy flowers, in the early spring of red, pink, or white, with outstanding cultivars of Pink (Brandywine), Malus 'Brazam'; Red Perfection, Malus 'Red'; Red, Malus eleyi; Radiant, Malus pumila 'Niedzwetzkyana Radiant'; White (Spring Snow), Malus 'Spring Snow'; White (Floribunda), Malus 'Floribunda'; Wildlife animals experience long-term food availability from the crabapple fruit, intensively grazed upon especially by deer, duck, and turkey.

William Bartram also found the wild American, native flowering tree, the Grancy Greybeard, Chionanthus virginicus, growing as an under story plant, as described in his book, Travels, written in 1773, page 7. Gracy Greybeard, Chionanthus virginicus, is also known as the Fringe Tree, covered with rounded creamy-white clusters of deliciously fragrant blooms. These trees grow to 30 feet and are very cold hardy to zone 3 – 9. Chionanthus virginicus is a very rare tree, and is very difficult to find or buy from a mail order company nursery.

Flowering pear trees, Pyrus calleryana, are well known to most gardeners, and the trees being early flowering in March, abundantly covered with white clusters of flowers. Outstanding cultivars of flowering pear trees are: Aristocrat, Pyrus calleryana 'Aristocrat'; Autumn Blaze, Pyrus calley calleyana 'Autumn Blaze';, Bradford Ornamental Pear, Pyrus calleryana 'Bradford'; Cleveland Select Pear, Pryus calleryana 'Cleveland Select'; and Chanticleer Flowering Pear, Pyrus calleryana 'Chanticleer'; Many large cities line out flowering pear trees in well positioned rows along boulevards and sidewalks for spring enjoyment.

Learn more about various plants, or purchase ones mentioned in this article by visiting the author's website: TyTy Nursery

Unique Educational Toys

2007-01-27T08:20:00.000-08:00

By Low Jeremy

Children, especially younger ones, are in need of good education. Educational toys can aid this eduction. Of course these toys should also be fun and unique. Most educational toys are indifferent from each other, but some of these still stand out and are still unique in their own ways.

Two very unique educational toys are Baby Shakespeare Find-And-Rhyme and Baby Bach Touch 'N Play Pipes. These toys come from the Baby Einstein toy line by Hasbro. Playskool and The Baby Einstein Company make the toy line. It is unique because it is for the children's and the parent's exploration in art, music, language and poetry. Each toy package has a video, a play guide that gives play hints and a special and exclusive multimedia CD of classical music.

A new educational toy is the Leapster L-Max Learning Game System, from Leapfrog. One unique feature is that it is fit for preschoolers as well as elementary school kids. Another is that its preprogrammed educational games wont only be played by your kids in the toy's small screen, it can also be enjoyed in the big screened television just by plugging it to the t.v. This unique toy combines manual learning and television learning- a breach in educational games.

The production of LeapFrog doesn't end there. LeapFrog again made the Fly. It is a pentop computer not for small kids because it is most fit for tweens. It has a variety of functions. With this your child can play games and be organized by keeping schedules. It also sees what your children write by using a small camera. All this, accompanied by its very original shape -- the shape of an electric toothbrush. Can you imagine it? They still manage to give it a fun toothbrush shape with all of those electronic features. It is truly unique.

Warner Bros. definitely won't agree to be left behind. This consumer products will intoduce to us, this fall, new exceptional educational toys. These toys are based on the very famous classic Warner Bros. characters-for example, Batman and Robin.

Another unique educational toy is the "Scooby-Doo Funland Frenzy". This game is for children in the 4 to 6 age range. Kids will be able to learn math, logic and spelling while having a wild and exciting adventure at a haunted amusement park. Using the Vtech V.Smile Learning System, kids will only have to put in a so-called smartridge and they can play AND learn all day!

Each children's educational toy is unique in the way it feeds the intellect. Thus, parents should first decide what particular subject they want to hone in their kids and carefully select products according to their kids' age and learning levels.

Low Jeremy maintains http://educational-toys.articlesforreprint.com This content is provided by Low Jeremy. It may be used only in its entirety with all links included.

Why 3 Search Engines Are Enough

2007-01-27T07:59:00.000-08:00

By Sherif Ramadan

OK, so you're on the internet. You want to find some information about a healthy diet for you cat. Where do you go? Perhaps you remember the URL of a website that might provide this information, but what if it doesn't have exactly what you're looking for? How do you find a website that does?

Surely no one can remember the address to every single website on the internet and your ‘favorites' can only have so many websites before it turns into a massive list of random websites.

That's why almost everybody uses search engines. They provide us with an indexed directory of web pages, images, video, audio, and other various criteria from all over the internet, searchable by keywords or phrases.

So when someone is interested in finding out more about "hybrid automobiles", for example, they would visit one of the many internet search engines on the world-wide-web and enter that particular phrase to find web pages that contain information relevant to the search-term(s) they've used.

If my website contains information about "hybrid automobiles" then a link to my site would be included in that search. This is one way for webmasters to spread the word about their websites. It's estimated that 7 out of 10 people find websites through search engines (the yellow pages of the internet).

This can be a highly beneficial tool for website exposure and generating traffic. The best thing about internet search engines is that they're free! People can both search and submit their websites for free. It's true that some search engines offer paid listings, but even the ones that do still offer free listings.

Some people think they can increase their chances of visibility on search engines by submitting their listings to a large number of search engines. Admittedly, that was one thing I tried myself when failing to generate some serious traffic from my listings.

With great disappointment, though, I didn't succeed. There's one important lesson I learned in search engine submission.

Don't be lured by those web sites that claim to submit your website to thousands of search engines all at once. Today it is far more practical to submit your website to just one or two search engines and generate the same, if not more, traffic as you would with submitting it to one-hundred or two-hundred search engines.

One of the reasons for this is because some search engines have succeeded in bringing more visitors and generating far more traffic to websites than others. Another reason is because a great number of smaller search engines today use the results from other larger search engines. So it is no-longer necessary to have your listings on so many search engines, because there's a good chance that they'll end up there anyway.

So how many are enough? In my opinion submitting your websites to the three major search engines on the internet is more than enough to generate consistent traffic. I have been through a list of the top 500 search engines on the web and I've discovered that most of them are just taking search results from the biggest listings.

I've learned that 70% of the traffic generated by search engines comes from just 3 of the major search players. The number one search engine, of course, being Google. One website I read about was ranking in the lower 100,000 on Alexa and just by submitting their website to Google's search engine they jumped from 100K to the top 10,000 in just a few weeks. The next two, most important, search engines are Yahoo and MSN search. Yahoo still uses some of the results generated by Google, but both have a powerful drive themselves.

If you still want to submit your website to more of the search engines out there it eventually will bring you extra traffic, but don't expect that it will generate any more traffic than the major players. The important thing is to make sure you've properly optimized your website for search engines and follow the guidelines provided by each of them.

Start with the biggest search engines first and then work your way down the list. Update your websites constantly and make sure your SEO campaign is generating the results you want. Remember getting constant and steady traffic from search engines is a long term process and it requires a lot of work, but it is also very effective in keeping traffic flowing to your website in the long run. Search engines are the leading tool used in finding web pages on the internet. Don't pass up the opportunity to benefit from this tool.

Sherif Ramadan is the founder of Business-Geek.com a website dedicated to providing small businesses with affordable services. If you're struggling with your small business startup or looking for professional business services that won't nickel-and-dime your small business budget, visit us today at http://www.Business-Geek.com to learn more about our services.

Top 3 Ways To Drive Free Targetted Traffic To Any Website

2007-01-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

By Shrinivas Vaidya

Website traffic that comes organically is normally termed as free traffic. By organically I mean people who are looking for information on the internet find your website and make a visit to see what you have to offer. If your website content wins in generating trust within their mind they can become your lifetime customers. Let's have a look at the top 3 ways to generate organic (free) traffic to your website.

1) Search Engines

Search engines are the oldest mode of looking for information on the internet. With millions of websites to choose from a normal internet visitor takes the help of a search engine to find what he/she is looking for.

With more and more website popping up everyday search engines too have evolved their job of "finding" the right kind of information the visitor is looking for using keywords. The three major search engines Google, Yahoo and MSN is visited by millions of visitors everyday and send them to websites that are ranking high for the relevant keywords.

If your website happens to be on the first page of the search results, you get a visitor. Since for most people a "Search engine" is the only source of help, they will bring the best quality traffic.

2) Writing Articles

Writing articles is considered the best way to establish a dialogue with the visitor. Articles have a great power to build "online credibility" quickly. Articles that have been picked up by search engines in their result pages automatically can bring traffic to your website for years to come.

3) Web 2.0

Web 2.0 is a very new concept and has many faces. But the mostly used function of Web 2.0 is the birth of community websites such as Digg.com or Flickr.com or YouTube.com

Community website is a place where the members of the community submit their content in the form of text, photos, videos, audios and other members comment on their creation thus receiving free traffic in the process. community website mentioned above are free to join and have thousands of members actively participating everyday. If done with little creativity can bring loads of traffic to any website new or old.

I hope this article has helped you in thinking about using these techniques for your online business.

Learn How I drove 1,000 Unique visitors to my website in less than 24 hours using a secret technique, that anyone without any experience can follow. Visit http://www.1000VisitorsToday.com to find out.

What Does Being Australian Mean To Me

2007-01-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

By Jan Smith

Today 26th January is Australia day and I have been quietly enjoying thinking about it all.

Is it the smell of a hot summers day and newly mown grass that always reminds me of the smell of cold water melon? Yes.

Is it the sensation of the hot sun beating down on unprotected limbs, seeping through the pores of my skin, while browning them? Yes.

Is it the memory of driving for 300 kilometres, stopping to change drivers and peering off into the distance where the long, straight black ribbon of bitumen disappeared into the heat haze off the horizon and knowing that our next destination still lay another 250 kilometres ahead? We had not passed another person, place or seen anything other than wide, hot dry land sweeping off into the hazy distance for the past 300 kilometres and knowing that the scenery was unlikely to change for the next 250 kilometres. Is this isolation and distances part of being an Australian? Yes.

Is it lying in bed and being woken up by moonlight shining in your eyes off the ocean? Yes.

Is it the freedom of not having to join long queues? Yes.

Is it the joy of still looking people in the eye and smiling at strangers without fear or expectation? Yes.

Is it the freedom of being able to walk anywhere we want to without fear? Yes.

Is it the memory of standing on a wide open plain on the Barkley Tableland and feeling like I was standing on an upturned saucer and if I could just reach that little bit higher, I would be able to touch the Stars? Yes.

Is it remembering hearing the crunch of cold frost underfoot while tramping up to the cowshed to milk the Cows on a cold winter’s morning? Yes.

Is it the memory of chapped lips burning from the oranges that our Mum always made us have in the winter time but they always made my lips burn when riding my bike home in the late winter’s afternoon from school? Yes.

Is it the pleasure of remembering in peace all the good things that I have enjoyed in my life? Yes.

So what does being an ‘Aussie’ mean to me? I think I am greatly indebted to my pioneering forefathers who strived for a life of freedom.

No life is trouble free, but we here in Aus have been blessed by not being encumbered with historical feuds passed down through the generations. We enjoy the freedom given to us by people who fought and gave their lives to preserve their integrity, independence and freedom.

Being an Aussie to me means I have to always be honest, straight forward and fair. I need to stick up for and with my friends through the good times and the bad times.

I need to pass on to my children’s children, a country that looks out for their mates and their environment. I need to keep the spirit of Australia strong by being a contributing member of my community. Because Australia is made up of many different communities and if we all accept each other as we are and strive to keep the spirit of Australia strong, we will indeed be revered by the coming generations.

It’s a big ask, but we are a big country. And we are all “Aussies”.

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Simple Tips To Conserve Gas And Save You Money

2007-01-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

By Charles Neshah

Running a car these days is not an easy business; it is expensive and as such requires thorough management of your gas consumption, without which you sooner than later run into debt, have your standard of living lowered or even become bankrupt. Which is why you should be interested in the following gas conservation tips that will save you lots of money.

Always ensure that your car is in good running condition. Cars that are not tuned up tend to consume more gas than cars that are well serviced.
Do not form the habit of raving your car engine unnecessarily for the purpose of warming up your engine in the mornings. And switch off your engine if it is obvious that your traffic jam will not ease up soon. Keeping your car engine running in a traffic jam consumes gas.
Avoid unnecessary journeys; and when ever convenient use public transportation.
A car Air conditioner is an added burden on your car engine, use it only when necessary, and as soon as the car is cool, turn off or change the setting to a lower rating. Remember also to keep all windows shut to achieve quicker cooling.
Having your car windows open while speeding lets a lot of air into the car to cause unnecessary drag and waste of gas, keep your windows closed to save your gas while speeding.
Avoid traffic jam routs, stop and go traffic take a toll on your gas. If a traffic jam rout is inevitable, make effort to leave home early and go through before the jam starts.
Every load in your car counts on gas consumption, so carry only what is necessary. For instance, don't carry about in your car the snow chains from last winter. Lave it in the garage till next winter.
Do not force your car to speed on lower gear, it is a waste of gas.
Remember always that gas consumption and speeding are synonymous.
Expensive gas is not meant for all cars. Majority of cars run on regular unleaded gas which price is not that expensive; if your car requires expensive gas, your car manual will indicate so.

All that being said, the bottom line is that you are not supposed to use your car for every movement you have to make. The less you use your car the more money you save on gas. Walk and bike yourself to locations that are not too far. Your car should improve your standard of living, not lower it. Save money on gas consumption.

Neshah writes for your success - find your nearest seized car auction listing at Nationwide Government Car Auction Listing for cheap new or nearly new cars at 90% off retail prices

Breast Cancer - Myths And Facts

2007-01-26T08:35:00.000-08:00

By Michael Russell

Myth: Breast cancer is primarily a genetic disorder.

Only 5 percent to 10 percent of breast cancer is owing to abnormal genes. The two genes, Breast Cancer Gene 1 (BRCA 1) and Breast Cancer Gene 2 (BRCA2) are thought to be those that increase the risk of breast cancer. However, the percentage of breast cancer cases in relation to BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutated genes is only 5%. It must be noted that this is only one of the risk factors when considering breast cancer. The other risk factors being age, high fat content diet and obesity, to name a few.

Myth: Radiation therapy causes a person to be radioactive.

Only in certain instances do you become radioactive when you receive radiation internally as a "boost". This is because the radioactive material is within you but while you receive this treatment, you generally will be in a private room in the hospital. If you receive radiation therapy externally this in no way makes you radioactive.

Myth: In early breast cancer detection, mammography is 100% accurate.

Nearly 85 to 90 percent of all breast cancers are detected by mammography, but a small percentage of breast cancers do go undetected by mammography. These go undetected sometimes because the irregular tissue and the surrounding breast tissue are of the same density. Therefore, if a patient has a lump in her breast or has any other change in her breast and also the mammogram gives a negative reading it is always best to continue to pursue the matter.

Myth: It is not necessary for women who are older and diagnosed with breast cancer to undergo "full" treatment.

The mortality rate of older women who have breast cancer is on the increase because of the fact that they do not receive the full treatment at the time they are diagnosed. Even though breast cancer is supposed to have a slow growth rate, some can be aggressive and can spread to other parts of the body.

Myth: Breast self-examination is best practiced in the shower.

It may be carried out in the shower, but it may not be the best of places to so as wet soapy hands may make it difficult to judge properly any abnormalities. Cold water or air too may cause the breasts and the nipples to contract. Breast self examination should be carried out monthly in three positions, that is standing up, lying down and upright in front of the mirror.

Myth: A woman's risk of developing breast cancer is increased by fibrocystic change.

Fibrocystic change is a breast condition, which is non-cancerous and has no risk whatsoever of increasing breast cancer. In some cases, however, this condition can cause detection with mammography a bit difficult because in fibrocystic breasts the breast density may tend to eclipse the breast cancer on a mammogram. It is therefore very important that breast self-examination as well as clinical breast examination is carried out. If cancer is suspected in these conditions, an ultra sound scan is also carried out.

Myth: A woman will definitely develop breast cancer if she is diagnosed with Lobular Carcinoma in situ.

Lobular Carcinoma in situ or lobular neoplasm is a stage 0 cancer, which most doctors do not consider to be a cancer. However, it might be an indication that an individual is at high risk and women with lobular neoplasm are more likely to develop breast cancer later on in their lives.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Breast Cancer

Skin Care - 6 Ways to Take Care of Your Hands

2007-01-26T08:32:00.000-08:00

By Michael Russell

Dry, chapped hands can be unbearable! Ask anyone who is unfortunately suffering from this condition and you will get the idea of just how painful it can be. Moreover, dry, chapped hands not only render a very uncomfortable feeling, it also makes the skin more susceptible to bacterial infections and other skin conditions!

The skin becomes most vulnerable to chapping during the winter season. According to experts, winter can be the most disastrous time of the year as far as skin is concerned. The dry, cold outdoor air and the decreased humidity in our homes (as a result of indoor heating) combine forces to strip away the natural protective layer in our skin.

No one deserves to suffer from dry, chapped hands. Take a cue from the experts to learn how to protect your hands effectively.

. Wear gloves. As much as possible, protect your hands from the irritating ingredients of household chemicals and cleansers. As you perform your usual household chores such as washing the dishes, doing the laundry or scrubbing the tub, you are unduly exposed to the harmful effects of these common chemicals. And guess who gets much of the beating? Your hands! Repeated exposure to these harmful chemicals leads to the drying of the skin which may even eventually result in chapped hands.

To prevent this, make wearing gloves a habit. Just make sure that you use vinyl gloves since rubber gloves are known to trigger allergic reactions. Plus, the cotton lining of vinyl gloves prevents sweating which may further irritate chapped hands. For drier chores such as dusting, you may opt to use cotton gloves. Wearing these may help reduce friction and prevent further damage.

. Protect your hands from the weather. Extremely cold and hot weathers both take a toll on the general condition of your skin, including your hands. Constant exposure to a cold and windy climate removes precious moisture from your skin. So, please be kind to your skin and your hands. Wear gloves or mittens as you head outdoors during the winter season.

On hot sunny days, the ultraviolet rays of the sun are the ones to watch out for! Do not forget to wear a sunscreen all over exposed skin with the right sun protection factor (SPF) whenever you go out to have fun in the sun.

. Prefer mild soaps. Do your research to help you choose the mildest soap available on the market today. A mild soap or a liquid cleanser may prove efficient in preventing any further damage to your skin since they do not contain the harsher ingredients found in ordinary soap. As a general rule, stay clear of deodorant soaps. They may not be good for your already damaged skin.

. Lather on the moisture! Revitalize dry damaged skin by smearing on ample amounts of petrolatum (or petroleum jelly) or any mild moisturizer. Both of these can give you sufficient protection against dry skin.

. Say no to hot water. Studies prove that using hot water strip the skin of its natural oils. Settle on using warm water instead.

. Humidify your house. This may not be as effective as the other suggestions given above but every little bit of help undoubtedly adds up, right?

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Skin Care

Benefits of Using a Baby Sling

2007-01-26T08:31:00.000-08:00

By Michael Russell

Many parents practice babywearing or carrying their infant in a sling. Many parents claim this practice makes child care easier because the baby is less likely to fuss and the parent develops a strong bond with the baby, often knowing the exact cause of the crying. There are many other benefits of babywearing as well.

A very young infant, less than three months old, often wants to be held almost constantly. This used to mean the mother either has to constantly carry the baby and neglect her housework, or take care of the house and let the baby fuss in his or her bed. With a baby sling, a mother can carry the baby close to her body while still having her hands free to do housework. Another benefit of having your hands free is being able to care for older children, if you have them. You do not have to stop what you are doing for 15 to 30 minutes while you feed your baby.

Carrying your baby in a sling also benefits breast-feeding. With a sling, you can nurse your baby in public and not worry about accidentally exposing your breast. This can be a big help if you have to take an extended trip away from your house and choose to take your baby with you instead of using a child care provider. Some infants arch their back or tense up when they nurse. These babies seem to eat better when they are moving. Sometimes a baby doesn't gain weight and there doesn't seem to be a reason for the lack of weight gain. These babies may benefit from being in a sling because the sling promotes closeness to mom. This closeness encourages frequent breast-feeding, which will help the baby gain weight.

When you have a baby that wants to be held all the time and you hold him or her, you frequently experience back and/or shoulder pain. A sling can help prevent this pain, when worn correctly, because the weight is more evenly distributed and you aren't contorted into an uncomfortable position trying to make your baby comfortable. If your baby seems to be extraordinarily fussy and gassy, your baby may have colic. Carrying your baby in a sling can also help with the crying and colic because being near you calms and comforts your baby. A study done in 1986 showed that babies carried at least three hours a day cried about 50% less than babies carried less than three hours a day.

Another potential benefit for your baby is increased learning. Babies carried in slings have more alert times compared to babies who are laid in bassinets or cribs after each feeding. Carrying your baby can also speed his or her speech development because a carried baby is exposed to more conversation. Carried babies also see more of the world because they are with their parents for an extended part of the day, instead of lying in a bed all day. The final benefit of sling use is for the parents. By carrying your baby close to your body for most of the day, you bond quicker and better than if you did not. This causes the parent to feel more confident in the parenting role, which means you feel better about yourself and your baby can sense that, keeping the baby calmer during the day. The frequent touching and feeding stimulates the mothering hormone, also making you more confident as you care for your baby.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Child Care

Worlds Ten Best Mixed Martial Arts Heavyweight Fighters

2007-01-26T08:16:00.000-08:00

By Jon Murray

There's no better way to stick your neck out that coming up with a top 10 "anything" list. It just gets worse when you talk about combat sports like boxing, kickboxing or mixed martial arts. However, here it is, my top 10 list of heavyweight MMA fighters on the planet.

I need to tell you that when I decided to write down my top 10 list, I didn't think it would take too long. I believed that I could easily pick 10 fighters that were heads and shoulders above the pack. It wasn't that easy. I'm sure that there will be a lot of people who disagree with my picks, but isn't that the point, to start a discussion of who's the best and who is just there for a paycheck?

The 10th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world.
This was the toughest position to choose, really there could be 4 or 5 guys tied for this position, but I needed to choose one and it was Mark "The Hammer" Coleman. Mark Coleman was one of MMA's pioneers, he established ground and pound as a valid MMA skill. In fact, Mark is still one of the most intense fighters in the game. Unfortunately his submission skills (both offensive and defensive) have not improved enough to be competitive with the top fighters in the world.

The 9th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Rashad Evans is my pick for fighter number 9. Rashad is still relatively new to the fight game and his natural athletic ability is as good as it gets. With time Rashad will move much closer to the head of the pack, but for now, congratulations Rashad on your success and making it to the list!

The 8th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Brandon "The Truth" Vera is certainly one of the most exciting heavyweight fighters in the UFC right now and I was tempted to put him in the top 5. However, he needs to beat a more substantial fighter than Frank Mir. While I have the utmost respect for Frank Mir, it's apparent to me that he's not the same fighter that he was before his accident. I believe that Brandon will be top 5 on next years list. He's one quality win away from that (in my eyes).

The 7th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Tim Silvia is the UFC's heavyweight champion. Why is he only ranked #7, the only explanation I have is that I've never personally met anyone who likes to watch Tim Silvia fight. He keeps on winning, but I'm never impressed with his performances. Sorry Tim, that's the way it is, you sit at number seven and if you don't start winning fights in a more crowd pleasing manner, I'm afraid you'll drop off the top 10 entirely.

The 6th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
It might surprise you that I put former K-1 fighter Mark Hunt in the top 10. It should surprise you that I put him above Tim Silvia, but I have my reasons. Last year Mark Hunt beat Mirko Cro Cop (by a very close decision) and he also held strong with Fedor Emelianenko, even on the ground, in the most recent Pride event.

The 5th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Josh Barnett is my pick for the 5th best MMA heavyweight fighter in the world. Josh says his style is "pro wrestling", but don't mistake his performances as fake. Barnett combines general toughness and strength with much improved stand up and a stellar ground game. His fights are always exciting and often bloody. Josh is a former UFC heavyweight champion with victories over the likes of Randy Couture.

The 4th best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
A year ago I would have put Andrei Arlovski in the top 3, maybe even top 2, but his losses to Tim Silvia have me wondering. I don't question Andrei's skills, he's an excellent stand up fighter with a strong ground game, I do question whether he is afraid of getting hit after loosing to Tim Silvia's by knockout. By the way, that is a fight he should have won, in my opinion Silvia got lucky (but he seems to do that a lot). I'm looking forward to seeing what 2007 has in store for Andrei.

The 3rd best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world
Who in their right mind would argue that Mirko Cro Cop belongs in the top 3 heavyweight fighters in the world? Now that Mirko has joined the UFC it's clear that Tim Silvia's days as champion are numbered. Mirko will hold the UFC heavyweight title in 2007, I'd put money on that one. Mirko's strength is most certainly his striking, including the best high kicks in the business. Victim's of Cro Cop's left high kick is a list of MMA royalty...I wonder if he can get that kick 6 foot 7 (Tim Silvia's height).

The 2rd best heavyweight MMA fighter in the world is none other than Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira, Nog for short. Nog has faces the absolute best of MMA and the only fighter who has consistently had his number is Fedor. He has beaten Cro Cop and most recently Josh Barnett. He is a talented master of submissions, has good stand up and as shown in his match against Bob Sapp, he is tough as nails and can take a punch.

The best heavyweight fighter in the world is Fedor Emelyanenko. There can be no argument, he's beaten every other fighter on this list (at least those who've faced him). Congrats Fedor, you're #1!

That's it, my list of the top 10 heavyweight fighters in the world. Keep watching the fights.

Whether you agree or disagree with this ranking, stop in at Ultimate Fighter Real MMA for the latest MMA news and Videos. Voice your own opinions at Ultimate Fighter Forum

IMDB's Top 100 Films - #1 The Godfather

2007-01-25T08:18:00.000-08:00

By Anthony Chatfield

I started writing a short history for each of the Top 100 films on the American Film Institutes list, and then I realized that the AFI list is problematic for a few different reasons. It only represents the opinions of film critics, it stays within the boundaries of Hollywood and American born films, and it tends to pander towards the classics with films that were extremely important but don’t necessarily represent the opinions of those that watch them, the movie going public.

So, I present the exact same project with the Top 100 movies from The Internet Movie Database’s Top 250 list. The IMDB list is a much greater tool, and one I’ve used in the past because it’s dynamic. Over the course of the years it has changed substantially adding new films, removing old films and generally reflecting the opinions of those that watch the films.

Number one on that list is the greatest book to film adaptation ever made, Mario Puzo’s classic saga of the Corleone family in The Godfather. At any time, it’s possible this venerable classic could slip below The Shawshank Redemption as the two have been neck and neck for years, but by far it will never be below second place (and I’ve never seen it in second place).

Released in 1972 by Francis Ford Coppola, the film tells the story of Don Corleone’s handover of the family to his reluctant son over a nine years stretch from 1945 to 1954. The film stars Marlon Brando, Al Pacino, James Caan, Diane Keaton, and Robert Duvall, one of the greatest ensembles on screen. The film was the first real breakout success fro Coppola, but it took a hardheadedness on his part to make it happen.

He was the third choice to direct, and the studio was dead set against either Brando or Pacino in their roles. On repeated occasions he was almost fired and the studio was unsure of how it would be received so the budget was slashed. Fortunately for all, Coppola stuck strong to his ideals and made the film in his vision, into the Gangster opus we have now.

To summarize the film would take away from its majesty, plus it’s an amazingly long complex plot (one in which you’ll be more than caught up). The beginning of the film takes place at the wedding of Don Vito’s daughter. Here we meet each of the major players, Michael, Sonny, the Don. Soon after we learn of the method by which Don Corleone makes his offers, we learn of the new rival in town and the burgeoning drug trade. The Don isn’t comfortable with getting involved in the drug trade, unsure that his pocketed politicians would be willing to help smuggle heroin and so a violent war between factions takes off.

The kidnaps, offings, and epic intergang rivalries between Sollozzo and the Corleones crafts one of the greatest crime films, nay the greatest films of all time. The film won best picture and Marlon Brando won best actor (which he famously refused in protest of American Indian treatment at Wounded Knee) and has been consistently rated among the greatest films ever made on every list ever compiled. At the time, it became the highest grossing film of all time, crushing studio expectations and spawned an immediate sequel, The Godfather II considered also among the top movies ever made. Many even consider it to be better than the original. The infamous lines of Don Vito, “I’m going to make him an offer he can’t refuse,” was named the second most famous movie quote of all time, and the film essentially created the subculture of the Italian Mob in film and literature. Television Crime Dramas as well as shows like The Sopranos all pay homage to Coppola’s masterpiece as nearly every scene from his film has infiltrated the deepest pores of American Pop culture.

I'm a self avowed unemployed writer, working on semi-constant basis to try and overcome the need to go and work a real job. I've written more than 200 articles and reviews and am constantly scouring the internet for any and all excuses and methods to make myself less dependent on corporate pay days. Visit my website at TheChatfield.com

Create Your Own E-book Using Google and Ebay

2007-01-25T08:16:00.000-08:00

By Liane Bate

Have you been working at an online business for a while now, and thinking of creating a product of your own that you can sell online to make extra money? Well, have I got the solution for you! E-books are becoming one of the most popular selling information products online today, and you can use Google and Ebay to help you create your very own digital product!

If the thought of writing an e-book seems a daunting task to you, it's really not as difficult as it seems. If you are already educated in internet marketing and know what writing original articles can do for your business and search engine ranking, then you are already most of the way there. Even if you know little about internet marketing and just like to write, you have a good chance of creating a good downloadable product that you can sell online.

The trick to writing an e-book that will sell is to know what people's problems are. This doesn't mean you need to be a psychologist! It simply means that you need an awareness of what people are asking for online that they need help with and want to find a solution for. People will buy from you when they know you have defined a problem they are having, and offer a solution to that problem.

What can Google and Ebay do to help you write this problem-defining and problem-solving e-book that will sell like hot cakes you ask? The answer is that Google and Ebay are excellent research tools that you can tap into to find out what people are having problems with. It's very important to use these free tools because if you start writing away about a topic that has little relevance to what people are looking for online then chances are your product won't sell.

Keep in mind too that the other trick to making a best-selling e-book is to know about and love your chosen topic. You will find it much easier to write a lot about a topic you are truly interested in rather than trying to write about something you know nothing about. You want to share your expertise and personal experiences about a topic, not your fake attempt to appeal to people's emotions just so they will buy your product.

So once you find a topic you love and know about, you can go to Ebay and start doing your research. What do I mean by "doing your research"? By this I mean you want to know what people are looking to buy on Ebay. Let's say you love hiking in the mountains. Go to Ebay and type in "hiking", or "hiking boots", or "hiking backpacks", for example. Find out what gets a lot of people's interest, as indicated by the number in the search results. Look at the listings to see what people are bidding on. This will give you an idea if your topic is worth writing an e-book about or not. Do the same in Google by typing in some search terms related to your topic to see if you can find the problems people want answers to, and if you feel you can write a lot about that yourself.

It's very good practice to get into the habit of using a good keyword research tool, such as the one offered at SEO Book. Once you have a good topic, you also want to target the keywords people are searching for in the search engines. With a keyword research tool you will find out which keywords are worth targeting. Most people think to use the keywords with the most searches, however, you want to target keywords that do get searched, but not the most frequently so that you can get to the top of the search engine listings with your effective keywords. These will be keywords searched maybe 5000-10000 times per month or thereabouts in Google, Yahoo, and MSN.

The great thing about having been involved in internet marketing before is that you have probably already written a few articles to promote your business online. If this is the case, you can compile your articles into an e-book without having to write anything extra! E-books don't have to be long! Or if you write about your experiences and can share your knowledge about your climb to Everest's base camp, then just compile your notes into an e-book with very little extra effort!

Finally, you can use Google and Ebay not only for research purposes, but after you've written your e-book, you can then offer it for sale on Ebay, advertise it using Google Adwords perhaps, watch your e-book rise to the top of the search engine listings, and grin happily as the sales start coming in!

Liane Bate owns a Plug-in Profit Site web business, and is a member of the International Association of Home Business Entrepreneurs (IAHBE). Visit: http://www.HonestMoneyMaking.com and HonestMoneyMaking.com's Home Business Blog

Spam: How Bad is It?

2007-01-25T08:14:00.000-08:00

By Rob Dee

Spam is bad, we know this. It is a problem that doesn't seem to be getting any closer to going away. But the following numbers may be alarming to you, and demonstrate just how bad spam, the delivery of unwanted junk email, is becoming.

How Much Spam is out there?

In 1978 a single email was sent to 600 addresses, the first documented example of spamming. In 1994 the first largescale spamming of usenet newsgroups occurred, reaching an audience of several million. In June 2005 an estimated 30 billion spam messages were sent every day. In June of 2006 that estimate had risen to 50 billion messages per day. By December of 2006 the estimated spam messages sent per day had reached a staggering 85 billion.

This means in the past 18 months the number of spam messages being sent out has nearly tripled.

Where is it coming from?

Of the URL's in spam messages, 73.58% are located in China.

Other major destination URL's for spammer websites are located in Russia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and the USA.

What is it's Cost?

95% of virusses are spread by spam email in some capacity.

Spam messages cost US companies around $10 billion dollars during 2004 in lost man hours, software and hardware requirements and consultation. The ammount of yearly spam since this figure was estimated has quadrupled.

What does it get the spammer?

Jeremy Jaynes was chared with 3 spamming offenses in 2004. His reported income from spamming was $750,000 per month!

on the other hand, Vardan Kushmir, a known Russian Spammer, was found dead in his apartment following several blunt force blows to the head.

Rob Dee has spent several years managing an internet cafe and has had to listen to complaints about spam on a daily basis. For the longest time he simply felt it was something that needed to be accepted, but finally he created the website http://www.stopspamnow.info in an effort to educate the masses on ways of combating spam e-mails.

Smoking Stinks

2007-01-25T08:11:00.000-08:00

By Willy Krahn

So you finally quit smoking and now you are left with that awful smell throughout your home and car. Don't worry because there are definitely some simple tricks for getting rid of the smell.

In your home:

Just like it took you some time to quit smoking it will also take some time to neutralize the odor that is left behind. A very simple way to help eliminate the smell of smoke is to place saucers of white vinegar around the room and near the affected furniture. Charcoal or baking powder has a similar effect. Leave it in the room overnight or for several days, preferably with the room closed off. Then thoroughly air out the room again.

To remove the smell from fabrics, such as furniture upholstery, sprinkle the fabric with baking soda. Leave it for a few hours, and then vacuum it off.

In your car:

After you quit smoking in your car there are many ways to remove the smell that many believe is impossible to get rid of.

Use vanilla extract. Put a large amount on a piece of rag and throw it under the car seat. It will draw the odor into the rag. If it starts smelling again, use more vanilla.

Just like in your home you can also use vinegar in your car. Place a bowl of vinegar in the car overnight, possibly for several nights. I would suggest you place it on the driver's seat so you don't forget about it the next day when you go to work.

Coffee grounds work like magic, just make sure you don't get them wet. Sprinkle a few cups where you can and leave them there for about a week. This is one of the most effective methods to remove the smell.

Baking soda, charcoal and ammonia all work well too but I would recommend you try the above methods first.

For more tips visit us at TimeToQuitSmoking.info

Choices in Window Blinds

2007-01-25T08:08:00.000-08:00

By Linden K. Walhard

Window blinds are versatile home design elements. They come in a variety of materials, fabrics and style to suit your tastes. We’ll look at several materials.

1) Metal. These are the original blinds. For many years, aluminum was the predominant metal used in blinds. It’s durable, affordable, cleanable and flexible. The slats come in a variety of lengths and widths to fit any space or taste.

2) Wood. This is a popular choice for window coverings for the warm touch it gives to a room. It’s not a great choice when the room is prone to humidity, such as in a bathroom or a kitchen. They’re not good choices in humid geographic areas either. Wood can warp, crack or swell, rendering them useless when they won’t open or close correctly, or the louvers won’t move. Wood is used in Venetian blinds and woven blinds.

3) Cane. You’ll see this in woven blinds. The slats are very thin, and they’re only adjustable as an entire unit, not by a single slat. Light filters into the room through the thin slats, that are usually tied together with rope. They add a very natural look to a room.

4) Vinyl. This is the most popular material for blinds. It can take on the look of wood, but it’s also very low-maintenance. It won’t crack or warp like wood, and it doesn’t attract dust like wood blinds do. Miniblinds are most often vinyl. They’re among the most popular type of blind, due to their thin slat and their versatility.

5) Fabric. Sometimes you’ll see fabric backed with a stiff material to create slats. These are exceptionally nice when they complement the décor in a room. Fabric can be used to bring a room together.

Blinds can be used by themselves, or layered with other window treatments. The severe lines of blinds can be contrasted with the softness of curtains or a valance, providing a polished, finished look.

Blinds can work in any room with windows. They can be horizontal or vertical, small or large. They can be subtly colored, and offset with a bold curtain or punchy valance.

Blinds are not only functional, as they keep light out and can act to obscure drafts from cracks around windows, but they’re decorative as well.

Blinds can make a great addition to any room. They’ve advanced so much in recent years, that you can get the look of yesterday with the technological advances of today.

Linden Walhard's detailed articles are published on a lot of websites with reference to curtains and home design. Sharing his passion in publications on window blinds the columnist improved his capability in the area.

Men are From Mars Women are From Venus

2007-01-24T21:40:00.000-08:00

By Vishwalok Nath

Relationship Enrichment Seminar

Dr. John Gray author of the best seller “Men are from Mars, women are from Venus” Dr. Gray mentioned as a preamble to his talk that when his book ‘Men are from Mars, Women from Venus’ had come out he was questioned whether one can make generalizations in terms of the behaviour of men and women. The only response he gave was whether they resonated with what was written in the book and 100% of the time they replied ‘Yes’.

1. The differences between Men and Women are universal. Women all over the world complain that “He doesn’t understand”. “He doesn’t listen”. “Only time he touches me is when he wants sex”. And men all over the world complain that “She doesn’t want to have enough of sex.” (Unless the woman is around 37 years. At this magical age women want more of sex than ever before.)

2. Women like affection from men much more than sex. They want to be hugged. John learnt to hug his wife.

3. Men like to be logical. Women like to share and talk even if there is no point in their sharing and talking. Men need to have an objective. They need to see the point in doing something. They can’t share for the sake of sharing.

4. Men tend to do one thing at a time. Women do many things at a time. Men have a tunnel vision. 95% of their attention is focused on just one thing and 5% on checking of the environment. Women are just the opposite. They are continuously taking in everything that there is in the environment whether it is useful or not.

5. John narrated the incident of his wife asking him to get some milk while coming home from work. He forgets. She considerately puts it down to his thinking of work. She asks him again. Again he forgets. She takes it personally. It’s not that the milk was forgotten but that she was forgotten. Women behave in this manner.

6. Men have their own caves on which the sign states “Please do not disturb.” Men like to retreat into their own world where they feel they are in control. Women also have caves but the sign on their caves is “I need to talk”. When a man asks a woman what’s wrong and she says “Nothing” it really means “Nothing, unless you care to listen and give me an opportunity to talk.”

7. 90% of women go into therapy because they want to be listened to. They want to be asked questions. They want to feel special. Men hate to be questioned. If men want to talk they’ll talk. If they don’t want to talk they won’t. When a man is locked in his cave, the woman thinks that something is wrong with him and goes in and asks questions. This is a wrong move for the woman to make. Men hate to be interrogated.

8. When a woman touches a man she may want to be cuddled. But for a man anywhere he is touched leads to Rome and he thinks therefore that it has to lead to sex.

9. Men want to forget the problems of the day. Women want to remember. A man will say “Forget it, it’s no big deal.” For a woman she will not rest till the problem is talked about. Her response to the man, who wants to just forget about it and not make a big deal out of it, will be “How can you be so insensitive.”

10. Men should never tell a woman how she should feel. In fact if she is unhappy, the man needs to be unhappy with her for a while instead of offering advice.

11. If the man is at a loss for saying anything when the woman is feeling bad then instead of offering advice he could build her up a bit by saying “I know how much you work during the day to make the kids and myself feel happy. It must be very exhausting.” Her unconscious response would be “He understands.” The woman craves for understanding.

12. Women make noises to get attention. Men make noises to signal “Please leave me alone.”

13. To cope with stress, sometimes, women while speaking tend to speak in long sentences and then pause. Men think that the pause is a signal for saying something. Wrong. For the woman the pause is just a semi-colon. Men need to restrain themselves in giving advice.

14. When a woman is upset and a man tries to give a solution 99% of the time her response will be “Yes….but”. When she is relaxed then give the solution. After she has been given the opportunity to talk about it.

15. If a man tries to walk in a woman’s shoes, she will be more willing to understand his point of view. Men tend to expect women to agree with their point of view because they feel it is obviously the best point of view.

16. Men are efficiency oriented. Must do it the easiest and fastest way. Women on the other hand feel that taking the shortest path between 2 points is boring. Women like variation. This is especially true in the bedroom. Men go by the same formula every time while women want variation. Men like uniforms and the same uniform. Men look good in a tuxedo or a suit and that’s it. Every time the same tuxedo or suit. Women like to change their dress; sometimes thrice or even more times in a day.

17. When John’s book ‘Men are from Mars, Women from Venus’ was on the bestseller list for 6 years in a row, John realized how narrowly focused in life he had become. He only gloated about his book being no. 1 on the bestseller list. John was missing the little things of life where his wife and children were concerned. Women are able to see the little things in life and be happy.

18. The more narrow the focus of a man the more stressed he is bound to get. He can’t notice anything else other than what he is focusing on at that moment. Women deal with lots of problems at the same time and the way they cope is to talk about them.

19. Men use their brain sequentially viz. one part at a time. Where women are concerned it is usually the whole brain at once.

20. Women lower stress through talking and sharing. The collectiveness and togetherness which they share is part of their feminity. Men lower their stress by being alone. Women’s attitude is that if we can’t do anything about it then let’s talk about it and suffer together. Men’s focus is on solving the problem. And if they can’t solve the problem then they make the problem disappear by forgetting about it.

21. Men always want to be right.

22. Women, unknowingly sabotage their success. They put themselves down because they want support. Women bond by putting themselves down. For example if one is late for a particular function in the office, the woman will say what an imbecile she is by not catching the right train or missing the connection because of some stupid mistake she made and so on. And other women who are also late will do the same.

23. Or if a woman is having a problem with the computer, she will call the so called expert from the computer department and tell him that she doesn’t know anything about computers and that she is very happy that he has come to her rescue and thereby push the guy way up there. But when he suggests a solution which she tends to disagree with, she doesn’t know how to tell him because if she does it, it makes him come crashing down and he reacts by saying that she has wasted his time. In this case one needs to resort to face saving devices like ‘whatever you have suggested will I am sure help me to figure it out (even if you see no utility in the suggestion).

24. As women more and more enter into the workplace their need to being listened to and understood is not being met. The workplace is efficiency oriented. They are becoming more and more isolated. They have to raise their children alone. Unseen and unheard. And this is causing them to go more and more into depression. The man focusses on work no matter what the problems are that are being experienced at home.

25. Man is efficiency oriented. He needs to feel needed. He needs problems to be solved. If there are no job opportunities or there is no effort called for to do something then the man feels depressed.

26. When women feel nurtured they feel happy. They are happy with the small things of life. Man likes to measure himself against the goal he has set for himself. Men behave like squirrels. They focus on one thing, dash towards it and once they reach there then they turn their focus on another thing and make a dash there and so on and so forth.

27. Men see the news on TV especially after coming home, because the problems they hear about and see make their problems seem that much smaller.

28. John’s soul sings when he teaches. Need to find one’s path and go along it. The fact that one feels fear is because it is one’s path. If it was not one’s path then one would not be so worried about whether one made an impact or not.

29. The truth is I deserve to be the way I am. I need not be bothered to be perfect in order to be loved. Once one lives in an atmosphere of perfect trust the more authentic one becomes, and the more authentic one becomes the more irresistible one becomes. The closer we are to who we truly are the more people will love us. There will always be people who do not love us.

30. Forgiveness is the key. If someone hurts then one needn’t hurt back. As Gandhi said, An eye for an eye will make the whole world blind.

31. Women give more. Men want to get more.

32. Women want flowers to be purchased by men. And they should be cut- flowers. So that the flowers die and therefore the men have to go out and purchase them again and again. They do not want the romance to go out of the relationship. Men on the other hand feel that if they have done it once there is no necessity to do it again and again. But women want things and messages to be repeated again and again.

33. Women sometimes give hints viz. On Sunday they will mention that they are getting their hair cut on Thursday. This is to be taken as a warning signal. The hair cut must be noticed. If a woman has to ask how she looks after she has had a hair cut then there is no value placed on the man’s comment. It has to be noticed without being asked. Women put in much more effort in looking good. Men put in more effort in their work.

34. Man wants to be appreciated. Woman wants to be listened to and noticed. Men stress more on what they do while women stress more on their being.

35. Men think that by being flexible they are Mr. Agreeable and that is appreciated by women. Really speaking women want men to take charge and suggest something which they agree on. Mr. Agreeable is boring. The ideal metaphor is to have a man with a plan and a woman with a smile.

36. Sometimes the woman feels that she does everything according to what the man wants. At this point it is necessary for the woman to say “I’ll do it this time your way but next time we’ll do what I want.”

37. Women are always keeping score in a relationship viz. When a woman does anything for a man she always gives herself a point. Men keep score in business. Men need to keep score in a relationship too. They need to do something for the woman so that they too score points from the woman’s point of view.

38. At work the man’s perspective is not to unnecessarily interfere. A man feels that if he doesn’t ask then he is giving total freedom to the woman. But a woman who is a subordinate wants to be asked about her work because silence is taken to mean ‘non-involvement’.

39. Women like the small stuff. Chit-Chat. Occasionally ask some personal questions. The magic words are ‘What else?’

40. To free a man a woman needs to say ‘You don’t need to say or do anything and you don’t need to feel bad.’

41. Listening creates healing.

42. Women by nature give. But when they find that they are not getting anything in return they need to give to themselves. Men have no problem in giving to themselves. Men don’t give enough to others.

43. Men prefer women managers while they learn the job. After learning the job they prefer a male manager.

44. Men sprint faster. Women win the long distance.

45. In men testosterone lowers stress. In women oxytocin lowers stress. Affection, considerateness, being noticed is what produces the oxytocin in women. Therefore men need to learn new skills to produce oxytocin in women. Foreplay is more important for a woman than a man. A woman needs 20-30 minutes of stimulation. A man needs just 2-3 minutes.

46. Women want sensitive men but the danger is that if men become too sensitive then women don’t like it. They want men to be considerate but not to be too sensitive just like them.

47. Don’t try to fix or change your partner.

48. When husband and wife are business partners then there needs to be clear rules. There needs to be a clear demarcated time when no business is talked about.

49. Duty is important but being authentic is more important.

50. Women can be compared metaphorically to the moon. When the moon is full, women crave for sex. When it is half-full, a woman can have it not have it, it does not matter, and when it is a new moon she couldn’t care less.

51. There are different types of sex viz. Healthy, home cooked sex, Ferrari, junk food sex, and Gourmet sex. Once a month one could have Gourmet sex which means bringing in the romance by going out for a dinner and coming home to an atmosphere which slowly climaxes. Whenever he wants sex, and it is a quickie then give it to him. Provided on other occasions there is good, regular homemade sex. In order to arrive at a meaningful understanding one could have 3 candles signifying the 3 types of sex. Either partner finds it very difficult to know the real mood of the other. Depending on which candle is lit and by whom one can behave accordingly. The candle becomes the sign of the mood.

Source : http://management-gurus.blogspot.com/ Author : Vishwalok Nath

33 Travel Safety Tips

2007-01-24T21:39:00.000-08:00

By Matthew Keegan

Traveling to unfamiliar destinations can bring to you the sort of troubles you do not want to experience while on the road namely: robbery, rape, or murder. Tourists often fall prey to perpetrators because they do not prepare properly before embarking on a trip. Let's examine some things you should do to prevent your travels from becoming a tragedy:

1. Never list your home address on the luggage tag. If on business, put the company's address on the tag; if visiting friends you can list their address. Use covered luggage tags as well.

2. Stay with your luggage until the luggage is checked. If you must put your bag down, keep one foot on the handle.

3. Carry important papers with you; NEVER check anything that you simply cannot afford to lose. Photocopy your passport, driver's license and credit cards.

4. Bring a small flashlight. You never know when you'll suddenly be "in the dark" and find yourself in unfamiliar surroundings. At night, keep your flashlight by your bed.

5. Make sure that your prescription medicines are filled properly and labeled accurately. In some countries certain prescription medicines are forbidden.

6. Never wear anything that projects affluence. No gold chains, expensive watches and rings, luggage, or other paraphernalia should be in easy view. Better yet: leave your jewelry at home.

7. If possible travel with only one or two credit cards.

8. Women particularly should never accept a drink from a stranger. Keep an eye on your drink at all times.

9. Vary your schedule; try not to come and go at the same time everyday.

10. Only stay in a hotel that uses cards to open room doors and make sure your room has a peephole and a deadbolt lock. Secure the chain and secure the door by pushing a rubber stop under it.

11. Stay in a room near a stairwell. Never take the elevator if a fire or smoke is detected. Always stay in a hotel where the doors enter the hallway and not directly from the outside.

12. Do not wear name tags in public.

13. Do not use unmarked taxi cabs.

14. Sit behind the driver so you can see him, but he cannot see you.

15. Pay the driver upon arriving at your destination and while you are still sitting in the vehicle.

16. If you must rent a car, rent only from a reputable company. Any operating problems that occur could signal sabotage.

17. Be aware of 'staged' car accidents meant to catch you off card.

18. Back into your parking spaces to facilitate a quick exit.

19. Park only in well lit and well traveled areas.

20. If your cell phone does not work outside of the country, consider renting one that does for the duration of your trip.

21. If detained for whatever reason by an official, ask for identification. If in doubt, tell them that you want to see his superior. Keep your emotions in check.

22. If traveling with children, bring along an updated photograph of each child in the event that you become separated from them.

23. Write your child's name and your hotel number on each card; include a close friend's or relative's contact information on the card. Give a card to each child which they will carry with them as long as you are away. Destroy once home.

24. Discuss with your family what they would do in event of an emergency while away from home, e.g. whom to call, how to contact emergency personnel, etc.

25. Do not discuss travel plans, your room number or any other personal information in public within earshot of strangers.

26. Bring along a basic first aid kit with bandages, iodine, mosquito repellant, sunscreen, alcohol packets, dramamine, pepto bismol, diarrhea medicine, etc.

27. Familiarize yourself with train and bus schedules before traveling. Have an alternate plan in place in the event your transportation plans change.

28. Do not flash your passport in public. Discreetly show important documents to officials only.

29. Consider purchasing portable alarms that emit a loud sound.

30. Watch for scams on the street. Children working with adults are notorious as pickpockets.

31. Never flash your money in public. Exchange funds with reputable and recognized exchangers only.

32. Have tips ready in advance for service personnel.

33. Consider renting an escort [security] service if traveling in areas where crime is high.

The key to safe traveling in any area is situational awareness. Distractions because of luggage, children, hotel personnel, strangers, etc. can put you at risk. Know your surroundings and stay in control of every situation.

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community a comprehensive resource center for business flight attendants who travel throughout the world. You can visit the community at http://www.corporateflyer.net or http://www.cabinmanagers.com

4 Killer Tips To Make Your Writing Come Alive!

2007-01-24T21:38:00.000-08:00

By Sarah Sheriff

You are a budding,talented writer, and you've finally achieved your dream goal-you've just completed a short story.And because it seems so good,you're confident of having it published.

However,to your utter dismay,you find your work is rejected!You are incredulous and start wondering what went wrong.Perhaps you feel dejected and start cursing the editor for spoiling your 'good work'.But hang on!

Your work may have been good, but was it good *enough*? Because,even if you have a ripping good plot,you've got to make sure your writing comes alive and hooks the reader's attention right from the beginning!Here are a few tips that would hopefully help you do just that:

Your very first sentence must be dramatic,abrupt,exciting or unexpected,so it immediately grabs the attention of the reader. For example,in a story by Jacqueline Rowling,the reader's curiosity is piqued in the first line itself:

"Marigold started going wierd again on her birthday."

It's abrupt,simple and dramatic,and makes the reader go lame trying to get to the bottom of it. Use this same technique when ending a chapter.It'll help keep up the tension and compel the reader to turn the pages,eager to know more.

Eg.In Franklin W.Dixon's 'Hostages of Hate',(in the popular Hardy Boys series)the author ends Chapter 9,with the line:

'There was no time for thought as the truck jarred to a stop- and the roof of the tunnel thundered down on Frank!'

This powerful ending does indeed prompt the reader to turn to the next Chapter,eager to know what happens to Frank.

Write a ripping good dialogue!

Try to avoid meaningless or routine exchanges each time two characters meet.How exciting is it to read,"Hi Pete,how are you?" "Oh,I'm OK Gary.How are you?" Not only is this monotonous, it's also *boring*!Intersperse descriptive narration with your dialogue,to add more punch to your writing.

Eg. "Yeah,you're right,"agreed Saman,pausing to take some change out of his pocket.

Don't overuse direct address.A character needn't use the name of the other person each time he talks to him.It becomes totally annoying.

Eg."Hey Gary,how was your football match?" "We won Pete!" "Did you score any goals Gary?" "Just one,Pete."

See what I mean?!

Invent memorable characters

A book possesssing solid and memorable characters is often an integral part of its success.If your readers can relate to the characters you've created,either in their imaginations,or in their real life,then well done!Otherwise,you might find the following tips useful:

Take time to develop and spice up your characters.In other words,get under their skin! Do pay special attention to this part of your writing process,and try not to leave it until you're *absolutely* sure you've created great and memorable characters.However,don't waste time dawdling,(remember time is precious!)or you can tend to neglect other important aspects of your writing. Think about your character's behavior and mannerisms.Give them a sense of style;find a unique manner of speaking.Use emotion and body language to effectively convey what a character feels at particular times.

Show,don't tell

This is one area where most writers tend to go wrong.(It's happened to me too!)Editors often tend to judge a good story on the author's ability to weave his/her story by showing,rather than simply narrating everything that takes place,or putting everything in black and white.You see,readers are bound to enjoy your writing more if they can ponder and figure out for themselves,what you,the author,are trying to convey.

For instance,let's say that you wish to portray Jack Morton in your story,as a mean and nasty person.Instead of writing 'Jack Morton was a nasty old guy who was always snapping at every single person he met',you could try describing him in the following manner:

"Little Rosemary's ball bounced over the short boundary wall and into her neighbor's garden.Running over to the wall,she leaped up on a box and leaned over.Old Mr.Jack Morton was tending his garden."Please Mr.Morton,can I have my ball?" Her neighbor looked up,his wrinkled face wearing an ugly scowl."No you may not!"he roared."Clear off and leave me alone!" The little girl ran back,tears streaming down her face.

See what I mean? Not only does this make the story more enjoyable,it also allows the reader to form his/her own opinion about Jack Morton.

So the next time you're writing that short story,do keep these invaluable tips in mind!

Sarah Sheriff is a freelance writer from Colombo,Sri Lanka,and regularly contributes articles both fiction and non-fiction,to local and international magazines.She can be contacted at mailto:freelancepro@fadmail.com

Understanding Erectile Dysfunction

2007-01-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

By Jamal Ibrahim

It is imperative to understand that not all erectile dysfunction problems stem from psychological issues. There may be an underlying medical cause in patients with erectile dysfunction. For example, a man married a woman and later they found out that he is suffering from erectile dysfunction. Concerned and scared, the woman urges the man to seek medical attention. But because of shame and embarrassment to be known that he has an erectile dysfunction problem at such a young age, he did not go to the doctor. Later, he was soon suffering from other symptoms that he did not think relates to erectile dysfunction. The woman persisted to tell him to visit his doctor as their sexual relationship is now being affected by the erectile dysfunction. And finally he did. It was soon found through blood tests and other laboratory tests that he has a tumor growing in his pituitary gland, which was causing a deficiency in his testosterone level. His erectile dysfunction was due to that tumor, and as soon as that tumor was removed, he later began to enjoy a full and satisfying sexual relationship with his woman.

So, to clarify what I have written here, I would like to tell the reader that erectile dysfunction is not all in the head. Although sometimes it is because depression, anxiety and stress can affect a man’s libido, it is still very important that patients should have his erectile dysfunction checked as there might be an underlying medical condition that might be chronic. With the treatment of this condition, he can gain back his full erection and maintain it to satisfy himself and his partner.

Erectile dysfunction, in most cases, can be treated. It is a problem that should be addressed and not hidden. It is a problem that once treated can boost a man’s self esteem, as this suffers the most because man thinks that masculinity is measured by his sexual performance. There are many helpful drugs now circulating in the market that addresses erectile dysfunction. The most popular choice is Generic Viagra, the first brand name erectile dysfunction medication that came out. Others are Levitra, Cialis, Kamagra, and Vimex (an herbal pill). If these medications do not help a man’s erectile dysfunction, there are other methods to try like injecting drugs directly into the penis, vacuum devices that enlarges a man’s penis and implantable penile prosthesis. If this does not work yet again, microvascular surgery is another option that a man could try for his erectile dysfunction problem as this procedure is performed to reestablish blood flow into the penis. This is usually done for patients with vascular diseases or injuries.

So men who are suffering from erectile dysfunction do not need to bear it in shame. It should be understood that most men will experience this and that there are ways and methods to cure and treat erectile dysfunction. Gone are the days when men are ignorant and refuse to seek help for their problem. As I would like to say, if you want sex that bad but cannot, then go get something done for it.

The author Jamal Ibrahim is a freelance writer focusing primarily on sexual health related topics like erectile dysfunction. For more information about treatment of erectile dysfunction, Generic Drugs, Generic Viagra and Generic Cialis visit http://www.genericpills4less.com.

The Grace of Aging

2007-01-24T21:34:00.000-08:00

By Maralene Strom

She sits at the counter watching the snow floating past the windows. A squirrel is hanging upside down while nibbling at the suet. Chick-a-dees flutter around the bird feeder taking their turns at the seed feast.

She’s watching the activity and then asks me, “What day is it today?” I ask her to read the piece of paper with dark, large letters saying, “Monday, February 2, 25 degrees, snowing.” She reads it aloud and then says, “How long has it been snowing?” I tell her since Saturday night and we have ten inches of snow.

This is the third year I stay with Gram while her daughter and son-in-law make their annual trip south to spend the month with another sibling and family. Each year I have witnessed increasing fragility in her body.

Her long term memory has not deteriorated that much beyond the first year. IT is her short term memory that slips away. She needs to be reminded of where she is when she says, “I don’t know which way is up.” We laugh together as I tease about deciding which way is up and she smiles and points up over her head. We both know she really means she feels a bit confused in her familiar surroundings.

We sit together at the counter to eat daily. She reads the notes reminding her of the day and the other stating her daughter is on vacation and when they’ll return. She reads several times, even aloud to seemingly reinforce a memory she can’t quite hang onto once she leaves the counter.

Often we chat about seemingly insignificant things. She asked Sunday what was on the TV. I, like millions of Americans had the Super Bowl on. She looks up and comments her late husband watched the Super Bowl. I share with her my perception of these grown men in tight pants; big shoulders and a helmet on their head fighting over a funny shaped ball and pushing each other down to get it. She smiles and says, “No manners. They should learn to share shouldn’t they.” We laugh and begin sharing silly statements concerning the game as we see it from our sense of humor. Her eyes brighten. We carry on like young women.

As the day passes, she sleeps more than she did a year ago. Sometimes she is only up long enough to eat, drink a cup of coffee, and eat a piece of her favorite chocolate. Then she returns to lie down. She is 90 and I believe she deserves her autonomy for the most part.

I also know that she will be brighter in late afternoon. I can encourage her with getting out her picture albums. This time I see the albums most significant for her are those that are farther in her past. Her memories are hidden there now as more recent memories have slipped away.

If there is one thing I’ve learned over the past three years is even though it would seem that she is too confused to have much to share, it is a very wrong assumption. It is I who finds great wisdom from this woman who appears fragile and confused. Asking her to remember today’s dates or what she ate last is of no significance really. That’s not what matters. I know that it’s just extraneous information for her to struggle with daily. It only causes more frustration and exacerbates her own sense she is losing her minds capacity.

Today she talked about her mortality. She said she wondered why she was still living so long. I said, “So you think you have lived long enough.” She responded, “I don’t think we should live so long if we aren’t useful anymore.” Her eyes were lowered and the tone so matter of fact.

I knew from previous chats she had a very close and loving relationship with her grandfather. She always described him with a long white beard. He had been a minister and also was the first owner of a car in the family. I said, “So when your grandfather got very old, you thought he wasn’t useful anymore then.” She straightened her napkin and looked at me directly, “I don’t think I ever thought that,” she said. I held her hands in mine and reminded her all the people that love her don’t think she’s useless either.

Then we shared a laugh together that perhaps she may be forgetful. However it was the honor of being a Senior Gramma. I gave her that designation, relative to myself being a Junior Gramma with much less experience in Gramma-ing!

Several times I’ve watched her eyes clouded in deep thought. She is a woman of deep faith. I’ve watched others with deep faith have this same look. I’ve become aware that this look always seems to signify that she is deeply within herself and appears to have certain contentment. She’s even said, “I’m ready to leave soon.”

My rabbi friend once told me that when the Creator breathed His own breath of life into man, He sat within man’s heart waiting for them to come to Him. I’ve come to believe that these times when she and others I’ve known are coming near the completion of their lives they are communing with the Creator in preparation for their transition.

To you and I they may be confused, fearful, and even frustrating because they aren’t the same, as we have known them. However, perhaps the peace they are finding is not so much from the exterior, but from that place deep in their hearts where the Creator sits affirming their life with each breath they take. I am convinced that her life is meant to teach the rest of us to honor aging. To observe her needs. To lovingly extend her the dignity of her years and give her the time she deserves to converse and tell her memories no matter how many times we’ve heard it repeated.

It is our opportunity to be present with our elders to catch a glimpse of their wisdom. We can listen to them as they remember experiences that made them the people we’ve loved and honored. It is also our opportunity to see the intimacy of their connection as they commune with the Creator.

Yes, she is teaching me the grace of aging. She is teaching me to honor her wisdom even within her diminished capacities of memory. She is teaching me that within her heart she is communing with the Creator and when it is time, she will make her transition into eternity with the joy of having lived a meaningful life right to the end.

Maralene Strom is a speaker and author who teaches on topics dealing with grief and recorvery -- let her help you discover your life's meaning as you journey now and into your future. Visit AdventuresInLivingsite.com to receive her newsletter.

Americans Are Dying Sooner

2007-01-24T02:30:00.000-08:00

By Michael Davis

America can be a great country to live in, but why are we so unhealthy? It seems that you see a fitness commercial on television every 10 seconds, pushing fitness equipment, vitamins, and pills on us. So why are we still so unhealthy and why are we dying sooner than a lot of other countries? People who live in places like Okinawa are living much longer, happier, and healthy lives yet they don't have near the medical advancements that America does.

Depression is on the rise too. In a country that is supposed to be the greatest country in the world, why are so many people depressed? Depression and anxiety medications are a multimillion dollar business. With obesity, depression, anxiety, and all around unhealthiness at greater numbers than ever before - something just isn't right.

What this tells me is that medication, fitness equipment, pills, and money have absolutely nothing to do with health and happiness. 70% of people on depression medication reported still having symptoms. The only people that works for are the pharmaceutical companies who are raking in millions. It all boils down to what we put in our bodies. I am talking about the food. Food is everything, and if you eat junk that is what your body will become. It has nothing to do with pills.

People in Okinawa and other long living cultures eat lots of fruit. And cars are not plentiful there, so they often walk where they are going. These cultures need to be studied because they are doing something right. America needs to get rid of the complications of daily life and go back to a simpler time; stress and depression are killers, eat more fruits, and if you have a destination that you can walk to, if it's a nice day, try walking. The answer is not complicated it's quite simple. Relax and Enjoy your life.

Michael Davis: a concerned American

There is a good site I found that has some good e-books on health and spirituality and other stuff. It's http://www.angelscape.net There are some informative books there for really cheap. Information is a good start.

8 Rules To Become A Millionaire!

2007-01-24T02:29:00.000-08:00

By Henry Goh

Remember that there is no short cut to become a millionaire, there is not quick scheme to get your first million if you do not follow these rules:

1) Start investing TODAY! It is never too late no matter howold are you now!

2) Set your target- write down what you want to achieve in life! Never just picture that in your mind, I strongly advise you to write your aims of life on a piece of paper and read it EVERYDAY!

3) Buy shares and mutual funds, never think that you will get rich by putting your money in bank! If you put your money as fixed deposit, the bank will get rich and not YOU!

4) Never speculate, buy blue chips shares. Never expect to get 100% returns in months, always think of long term investment! Speculators will burn theri fingers in one day.Believe in yourself and follow rules in investment!

5) Invest EVERYMONTH, has an outlined plan, invest consistently and enjoy investing!

6) Hold your shares and never buy-sell and hope to get good and fast returns. Studies show that millionaire investors usually hold their shares more than 5 years!

7) Plan your tax and estate properly, it is useless if your money and estate die together with you!Leave your estate to your children!

8) Be consistent in everything you do in life! Take necessary risks to have good returns. Rich people take calculated risk!

Hope these tips help you! Visit www.investing-tip.com and www.young-investors.blogspot.com for more tips!!

Dr Henry Goh, a physician by profession but has strong interest in money management and investment!

Life Lessons for Women

2007-01-23T22:02:00.000-08:00

By Stephanie Marston

Essential Ingredient#1:

Evaluate Your Priorities

The French philosopher Rene Descartes said, “I think therefore I am.” Our modern day version has become “I do therefore I am.” So many of us live by the mantra “I have to keep up,” “I am what I do,” “I have to push myself,” “I have to prove my worth,” “I have to keep going.” While many of you thought that you left peer pressure back in the halls of high school, it’s still very much in operation in our adult lives.

Many women have one clear priority--get through the day. Sure, no one will deny the importance of that, but it’s simply not enough. Many women go through life on autopilot. You rarely stop long enough to consider how you spend your time and energy. Yet, without determining whether your priorities match your reality and your values you will continually be out of synch with yourself.

Living a priority-centered life means balancing responsibilities to others with responsibility to oneself; obligations with enjoyment, work with play, activity with rest. It means finding a natural rhythm to one’s day-to-day life that will support an atmosphere of fulfillment. It means getting your priorities straight.

Think of a typical day and a typical week. Think about how you spend your time. Ask yourself, how much time do I devote to my family? What about health and fitness? Religion or spiritual practice? Work? Personal interests and hobbies? Social time? Finances? Friendships? The categories you choose may look somewhat different from these, so feel free to customize them to reflect your life. Make a list in order of what gets the most to the least amount of your time. How you spend your time will make known your priorities.

You may be surprised to discover that there’s a discrepancy between what you thought your priorities were and what they actually are. It’s time to be honest with yourself and see what your life is telling you. Is your life balanced? Are you overextended in one area? Is there an area that you’re neglecting? What percentage of your time is devoted to caring for others? What percentage is spent caring for yourself and doing things you love? Are you in synch with your core values? Are there any adjustments you need to make so that your life more closely reflects your values?

One of the greatest challenges women face is balancing the wishes and expectations of other people (especially your family) with your own needs and desires. You must hold your priorities sacred. You must invest your time and energy in what you value. You have to commit yourself to make time for what’s important every single day.

Ask yourself every day, is this what I want to be doing? If the answer is “no,” you can alter your course a little each day. Changing course is a process. It happens slowly, incrementally, but if you are persistent, you will end up where you want to be.

Food for Thought

If you had only a year to live, what would you do differently? It’s time to take action. Whatever you’ve been waiting to do--Just Do It!

Stephanie is an acclaimed speaker and author. She speaks from experience. Stephanie is the “go to” expert for those seeking to create quality driven lives. She is the author of Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Life Lessons for Women: 7 Essential Ingredients for a Balanced Life, If Not Now, When? For more information please visit her website: http://www.stephaniemarston.com

How to Host a Murder Mystery Weekend

2007-01-23T22:01:00.000-08:00

By Mary Lee Ferrin

While this article was written for Bed & Breakfast Inns, it can easily be used by the casual host who wishes to host a Murder Mystery Weekend with friends & family.

One of the dilemma's faced by many B & B Inn owners is how to fill the rooms of your establishment enough to show a profit. It is not always an easy task. Overhead is high & it seems like you are always faced with some new expense. I am sure all Inn owners have heard of Murder Mystery Weekends, but most do not know how to go about it. Just visit some of the Bed & Breakfast web sites that offer Murder Mystery Weekends and you will find them sold out well in advance of the event. This article was written to help you on your way to attracting visitors to your Inn by offering Murder Mystery Weekends. One of the advantages of hosting a Murder Mystery Weekend, besides having your Inn filled, is this venue allows your guests to interact and really get comfortable with each other.

Your first step is to find a Murder Mystery Game that will be fun and enjoyable for your guests. You need one that is easy to host and participate in, yet will be able to play out over the weekend. In the past you either had to write your own or spend a small fortune hiring specialists to come in and put it on for you. This is no longer the case.

Our site Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games - http://www.dinnerandamurder.com - has Murder Mystery Games available that play very well for weekend groups. We are also releasing new games every few months, which gives you the ability to do fresh murder mystery weekends, without having to wear out the same scenario.

Many Inns that offer Murder Mystery Weekends make the mistake of only offering one mystery. By offering new murder mysteries you are taking advantage of repeat business. The scripts are very affordable at only $39 a game plus a $20 commercial license for each weekend event you host. You do not have to pay the $39 each time you host it, only the license fee. We also offer free phone support to answer any questions that you might have.

The next step is to decide what to charge & what to include in that charge. I have found that most Inns are pretty consistent in both these areas. The average charge is $450 per couple, double occupancy for the weekend event. This usually includes the following:

• Accommodations for Friday & Saturday evening.
• Dinner Fri. & Sat. or Welcoming Cocktails Fri. & Dinner Sat.
• Full Breakfast Sat. & Sun. Mornings
• The Unique Murder Mystery Experience!

One of the problems that can occur and potentially wreck a murder mystery weekend are last minute cancellations. There are a couple solutions that can help prevent this problem. The first is to require that the event be paid in full to hold the reservation. Then you can give refunds according to the lead time of a cancellation. These are just suggestions:

• 30 days before the event refund 75%
• Up to 2 weeks before the event refund 50%
• Cancellation in the last 2 weeks forfeits the deposit.

Be sure to inform guests making reservations of the refund policy. Tell them that this is a necessary policy as cancellations can ruin the event for everyone if someone is not found to fill their spots. The closer to the event, the harder spots are to fill.

Next is to keep a waiting list. After you have all of your rooms filled, offer interested parties the opportunity to get on your waiting list for possible last minute inclusion. You can offer a discount to make this proposition more inviting. Another idea is to run an ad in your local paper offering free murder mystery weekends to fill last minute cancellations or unfilled spots. When contacted explain that you are creating a list of local guests who could be contacted, possibly at the last minute, to attend a murder mystery weekend free of charge in the event of a cancellation. These steps should insure that every Murder Mystery Weekend is a success!

Okay, now how do you go about organizing the murder mystery itself? The following ideas are adapted for a Dinner and a Murder Mystery Game. If you are using a different game you will need to make some adjustments depending on their format.

• Before guests arrive it is best to let them know the murder mystery theme or time period, so that they can bring appropriate costumes if they wish.

• To assign characters you could give each guest a copy of the Guest List when they arrive and let them choose the character they would like to play. First come first serve. Then you would give them their new characters background booklet. We also have an online RSVP e-Invite system that will let you assign characters and send character booklets to the people attending. This would give your guests even more prep time and allow them to more fully get into their character.

• Everyone meets for Dinner or Cocktails on Friday night. Before dinner you would give out the first part of their Character Booklet, Nametags, Game Money & any other items or props that their character required. You would then make the Hosts Announcement. They will then start getting to know each other. You should allow at least 30 minutes before serving dinner. The murder should occur just before or at the end of dinner, after which you give your guests their Character Confidential Booklets. For planning purposes it would be best to have someone you know who is outgoing to play the part of the murder victim.

• At breakfast Saturday morning you should have the Inspector/Detective do his or her Evidence Presentation, have the Weapons Scavenger Hunt and then your guests have all day to plot amongst themselves, investigate or do their own thing.

• After dinner Saturday night your guests will try to solve the mystery.

• At Breakfast Sunday morning you would award the Winner Certificates. Viola' a weekend of murder and mayhem!

As your guests would not have their props before hand, you would need to insure that they had any required items.

For Example: To do Murder at the Four Deuces you would have to provide a costume tiara for the Baroness, a pair of white evening gloves for Rebecca Ravioli & a deck of cards for Rhett Bumbler. Murder at the Four Deuces would be an excellent script as there are so many intermingling subplots it would insure a full, enjoyable weekend for your guests.

If you host one of our games for a Murder Mystery Weekend that is open to the public we would love to list your event on our website for interested parties to find. We have a Murder Mystery Event Calendar that you can post your event into. We attract over 1,000 visitors a day that are interested in Murder Mystery Games!

Written by Mary Lee, owner and writer of Dinner and a Murder Mystery Games. Visit our web site at http://www.dinnerandamurder.com to learn more.

10 Powerful Self Defense Tips For Women

2007-01-23T21:59:00.000-08:00

By Gary Simpson

In the USA, every two minutes a woman is being raped.

A 1993 survey revealed that 50% of Canadian women have experienced an incident of sexual assault or physical violence.

In Australia, 19% of women aged 18 to 24 experienced an act of violence in the last year.

Statistics show that one in very four women in America will be sexually assaulted in her lifetime.

These are SHOCKING statistics!

For more than 30 years I have been running specialized self defence courses and seminars. Over that time I have shown thousands of people how to protect and look after themselves.

Increasing personal safety ALWAYS commences with awareness.

Since most women fear attacks of a sexual nature more than anything else most of my quick tips are geared towards that.

If you are a woman, here is a list of ten simple things that you can do immediately that will increase your safety:

1 - Do not wear revealing clothing in public places. Doing so will ensure that you attract plenty of attention, including attention from those people with evil intent. Be discrete and leave provocative wear to those times when you can enjoy the intimacy of your partner.

2 - Trust your instincts. Women are very intuitive. If you think a situation might be dangerous then it probably is. That little guardian angel should be trusted rather than ignored.

3 - Rape and other sexual assault is always increasing. In the event of the worst outcome use your fingernails to gouge your attacker's cheek. It marks him for identification and you will have DNA under your nails.

4 - Drive your motor vehicle in a courteous manner. Nobody appreciates rude hand signs. Remember - eventually you have to stop, even if it is to refuel. Psycho cases might follow you for many miles "just to teach you a lesson" - all because you made yourself a target to their twisted minds.

5 - Drinking excessive amounts of alcohol, taking mind altering drugs and leaving ANY food or drink unattended where it may be tampered with is a recipe for disaster. Give your self an even chance.

6 - NEVER pick up hitch-hikers and ABSOLUTELY NEVER hitch-hike yourself.

7 - If you live alone make sure that all your mail is addressed by just your first initial followed by your surname. Never allow mail to be addressed to you with salutations like Miss, Mrs, Ms or with your christian or given name. Those letters and parcels pass many eyes before they get to you. Change them. Make them nondescript as to your sex and marital status. Why allow anybody even one extra shred of information about you?

8 - NEVER walk alone at night or at any time in isolated areas. Predators love these locations. Avoid them.

9 - Many sexual acts are committed by people who the victims knew - or, at least, thought they knew! Be friendly and polite by all means but be vigilant for tell-tale signs of "strange" behavior. Do NOT flirt. Be firm about any unwanted attention, particularly in the work place.

10 - Sexual attack is usually preceded by some visual sign, which is usually preceded by some verbal approach before the physical action. Recognize the sequence: the look - the talk - the attack.

Please feel free to distribute this safety list to every woman you care for. The only condition is that the resource box remains intact and that this article is not altered in any way.

There are so many predators out there. Let's help our women to PROTECT themselves! Don't let somebody YOU know become the next victim.

About the author: Gary Simpson is the author of eight books covering a diverse range of subjects such as self esteem, affirmations, self defense, finance and much more. His articles appear all over the web. Gary's email address is budo@iinet.net.au. Click here to go to his Motivation & Self Esteem for Success website where you can receive his "Zenspirational Thoughts" plus an immediate FREE copy of his highly acclaimed, life-changing e-book "The Power of Choice."

Why Universal Health Care Could be a Conservative Republican's Dream

2007-01-23T21:58:00.000-08:00

By Aldene Fredenburg

Republicans, conservative Republicans in particular, have been notoriously resistant to the idea of universal health care coverage at least since the days of Harry Truman.

But maybe it's time for the Republican Party to take another look at universal health care. A system funded and operated at the federal level could have a number of effects:

· A federal system set up along the lines of Medicare or the Veterans Administration system could control health care costs by limiting payment for services.

· A tax-funded system could take the burden of health care costs off the backs of American businesses by funding it through deductions similar to the current social security system. With deductions divided equally between the worker and the business or paid solely by the employee, this, combined with cost-control methods, could represent a substantial savings over what businesses are paying now.

· Small businesses that cannot now offer competitive health care packages could compete with larger corporations for highly skilled employees, resulting in a tremendous opportunity for growth among these small companies.

· Money freed up from current privately funded health care programs could be used to offer raises to employees and to expand business.

· Providing access to health care to self-employed individuals could expand the pool of workers choosing to work on a freelance basis. This would result in cost savings to companies that decide to contract with freelancers rather than hire employees who expect a benefits package.

· Since all necessary medical costs will be covered routinely by the federal program for all citizens, malpractice and injury lawsuits for medical expenses could drop substantially.

Before Republicans reject proposals for universal health care, they need to examine the possible effects of a federally funded system. They might find that universal health care is both fiscally responsible and pro-business.

Aldene Fredenburg is a freelance writer living in southwestern New Hampshire. She has written numerous articles for local and regional newspapers and for a number of Internet websites, including Tips and Topics.

Cleansing Versus Traditional Dieting: Why Most Diets Fail And People Gain Weight

2007-01-23T03:14:00.000-08:00

By Alicia Barwick

Like some of you, I have been trying to lose the extra pounds that I have gained after getting married and having kids. After some disappointment and weight loss struggles, I was blessed to come across some information about cleansing that has changed my life.

Our bodies are being exposed to toxins in several different ways. Some of these include: manufacturing ingredients, commercial produce, fast foods, breathing dirty air, and unpurified water. How do all these chemicals and toxins affect our bodies? In order to protects itself from the influence of these toxins, the body coats these impurities with fat cells. A traditional diet may cause a person to shed fat, but the toxins are still in the body. The body will sense a high impurity level, so it goes into emergency fat production. This causes the yo-yo effect.

Cleansing allows the body to release these toxins, so the body can shed the fat cells. This results in a leaner, cleaner you. Of course, cleansing will have to be done at least a few times a year, because we are constantly being exposed to toxins and chemicals.

Another issue that goes along with cleansing, is making sure that the body is not being starved. A proper cleansing diet will include high-grade, organic, and essential nutrients. This provides fuel for the body while it is in its detoxifying state.

These statements not evaluated by the FDA. Not for diagnoses or treatment of disease.

http://www.bestcleansediet.com/Diet-versus-cleansing.html

How To Find Out If Someone Died Or Find Where Someone Is Buried

2007-01-23T03:11:00.000-08:00

By Steve Gee

How to find out if someone died when you have little to go on

The more that you know about a person the easier it is to find out more about them but what if you don't have much information to start with? What if you're trying to find out what happened to a school friend or an old work mate that you lost touch with years ago? There may be no mutual friends to ask, you've no idea where they live or lived and you're not even sure what country they might be in. What do you do then?

The good news is that it's never been easier to find people than it is today. The Internet is making the job of accessing public records a breeze as more and more public information databases are placed online. Searching public databases can often be done for free and if you have a good idea about where to look you stand a good chance of finding what you want.

But how to find out if someone died if you have nothing more than a name to go on? You might not even be sure that you've got the name right. You may have to painstakingly search through obituaries, cemetery records, funeral home records, genealogy databases, social security information and lots more. You might have to do this for many states if you don't know where they lived. You might even have to look for leads in many countries.

Help is available

This is a job that could potentially take you several years to complete but help is at hand. The problem of how to find where someone is buried or how to find any information about an individual is a big problem for many people and help in solving it are now available.

The more information you have to start with the easier it is. If you know someone who has knowledge of the person you are looking for then you can find out if someone is dead by simply asking your mutual friend. Knowing where the person lived can narrow your search down considerably and in the unlikely event that you know the persons social security number then finding them should be easy.

How to save time looking for someone

If you don't know very much about someone then finding out what has happened to them can be laborious and time consuming. It could take you years of looking and you still might not find them. One way of saving time is to hire a private detective to do the searching for you. They are used to finding people and they should be well acquainted with all the public records databases that are available.

Hiring a PI can work out very expensive however and there can never be any guarantee of results. A cheaper option is to make use of an online service that has done all the hard work of finding and integrating all the available records databases together. You still need to have some information to start with but then so would your Private Investigator Consultant.

Find out anything you want about someone

Online undercover detective services aren't limited to how to find out if someone died. You will be amazed at exactly how much you can find out about someone from where they were born to what their credit rating is like. You can even do searches on yourself to find out what information is being kept on you. It's kind of scary.

Find out anything about anyone and everyone whenever you want: How to find out if someone died - Online undercover detective Are you searching for someone who might be in jail? http://this-info.com/undercoverdetective/findsomeoneinjail.php

Simple Steps to Secure Your Computer

2007-01-22T21:38:00.000-08:00

By Russell Card

Since you're reading this article, you're already connected to the Internet. You've probably already thought about security on your computer or network. Every day seems to bring new threats and it can seem pretty daunting, but the key thing is to have a common sense approach and to take a few basic precautions.

There are some simple things you can do to protect your computer. The best bit is that many of them are free and just a matter of common sense. Others will involve a little expense, but I promise it won't be much and it'll be worth every penny.

BACKUPS

Securing your information starts here. You'll need some or all of the security tools listed below, but even then you can't guarantee 100% that you won't have a problem. Hardware failures do occur so backup your data. I've never lost data through a virus, but I have lost it through disk crashes. Learn from my mistakes and back up your data.

One easy way to back up your important files is to burn them onto CD or DVD.

ANTIVIRUS SOFTWARE

An absolute must have. Alright, you already knew that, but I can't stress too strongly the importance of having good, up-to-date antivirus software. With new threats and Viruses arriving every day it's important to maintain update subscriptions and download virus definition updates as soon as they become available.

There's a lot of good antivirus software available, both free and for low cost. I'd recommend going for paid software...you just never know when you're going to need to call a help desk and that's generally the difference between the free stuff and the stuff you pay for. Norton, McAfee, Grisoft (AVG) and others all sell antivirus software that's affordable on a low budget.

FIREWALL

A firewall is always recommended to help protect against unauthorized access to your PC. For a small number of PCs a software firewall is usually best and is the easiest to work with if you're not an IT expert. However, don't discount hardware firewalls, especially if you have a network with a lot of devices on it.

Whatever you do, don't rely on the Network Address Translation or packet filter built in to your Broadband or Cable router. It almost certainly won't be enough.

If you're buying a particular company's Antivirus software it's worth considering buying their integrated AV and firewall package if they have one (if they don't then maybe you should try someone else). It may well save you money and be easier to configure and maintain.

ANTI-SPYWARE SOFTWARE

If you spend a lot of time browsing the Web (and let's face it, who doesn't?), then spyware is going to find its way onto your machine. A lot of it isn't particularly nasty, but the really bad stuff can send important information like passwords, bank details or credit card numbers to people you really don't want to have access to that stuff. At the very least it can slow down your PC and since you didn't ask for it in the first place then you should get rid of it.

Some tell-tail signs that you have a Spyware infection are:

You're getting pop-up ads all the time

Your default homepage or other settings in your browser suddenly change (especially if you can't change them back)

Your computer is slow (there could be other reasons for this, but it's worth checking for spyware)

There's some good free software available from Lavasoft called AdAware. Microsoft also have their own free tool for Windows users called Windows Defender. Among the paid-for Anti-Spyware software Webroot's Spy Sweeper regularly picks up awards from computer magazines. Most of the main security software vendors such as Grisoft, Norton, etc are including this protection in their "Internet Security" packages. These packages usually provide a whole range of protection such as antivirus, firewall and anti-spyware/adware, and so on in one package.

PASSWORDS

More and more people are accessing secure sites for shopping, banking, etc. Provided you take sensible precautions it's a great way to shop.

If you've been doing any online shopping you'll be used to dealing with secure sites. Whatever methods these sites use to secure their servers or encrypt your traffic, if they're accessed by passwords then you share some of the responsibility for the security on your transactions. Here are a few tips on how to keep unauthorised users from accessing your accounts:

Be inventive with your passwords. Don't use easy to guess stuff that a lot of people know about you or can find out. Use a mixture of uppercase and lowercase characters, numbers and special characters (again be inventive. Just using a 1 instead of the letter i is no use if it still spells out an easy to guess word)

Use different passwords for different accounts. If you always use the same one and it's compromised then someone will have access to everything

Don't write passwords down on paper or post-it notes. That's a hacker's favourite way to find passwords if they have physical access to your office

Don't get Web browsers to remember your passwords on shared machines or in office areas. If you log into a machine that other users have access to then never use Windows or Web browser mechanisms that remember your account details

Having different passwords to lots of different accounts does make it more difficult to remember them and it's important that this doesn't lead you into bad habits. So what do you do?

You could look at getting some password management software. Naturally, Norton has a password manager, but other good options include "Web Replay" from Deskperience or "PC Password Manager XP" from CPLab.

WHERE TO NOW?

You don't have to go out and buy every piece of security software right away. Prioritise one or two to start with (I'd suggest Antivirus and Firewall software). Also download trial versions so you can be sure you're happy with them before you part with your hard earned cash.

Be careful on the Internet, but don't let it spoil your day.

Russell Card has been an IT Consultant for over 10 years and has extensive knowledge and experience in Networking, Security, Web Design and a host of other computer subjects. To find more articles like this, visit http://www.ukitbits.com

Want A Killer Cover Letter? Follow These 5 Steps

2007-01-22T21:37:00.000-08:00

By Chris Stinson

When applying for a job opening with a new company many companies will require that you enclose a cover letter with your resume. Even if a company does not require that you enclose a cover letter it is always a good idea to include one with your resume. Including a cover letter will show your professionalism and if written correctly could get your resume noticed.

In this article we look at 5 things you need to include or leave out of your cover letter.

1. Leave your contact information off of the cover letter. All of your contact information needs to be contained in your resume. Putting your contact information on the cover letter will be redundant.

2. Somewhere in the cover letter let the company know what position that you are applying for. Do not assume that there is only one job opening at the company and make sure the person who is hiring knows exactly the opening you are interested in. Stating the position you are applying for will get your resume to the correct person or department.

3. The cover letter is announcing yourself as such, let the company know that you are interested in a position with their company and enclosed is a copy of your resume.

4. Make the cover letter short and sweet do not go into your qualifications and what you have accomplished in the past, this is what the resume if for. Most people will scan the cover letter so make is as easy as possible for them to decide what your information is regarding.

5. Have somebody review your cover letter and your resume before sending it out. The last thing you want on either of them is typos. Having typos on your resume will almost in every case get it thrown straight into the trash bin.

As you can see adding a cover letter is not that difficult. If you have a template set up on your computer than you can tailor each cover letter for each position you are applying for in a short amount of time.

You just read are 5 steps you can take to make sure that you have a good cover letter for any situation.

Now go out and get that job.

If you are in the job market and are currently on a job search try visiting http://www.readyforjob.com where you will find information that will help you with your resume, job search, the best job boards, and many other resources to help you land that job. Get the job you want today.

Obesity in America -- The Growing Epidemic!

2007-01-22T21:33:00.000-08:00

By Shelley Hitz

Obesity is a disease that affects approximately 60 million people in the United States, where women are especially affected. Over one-third of women between the ages of 20 and 74 are obese, the majority of them being African American or Mexican American. With more and more pre-packaged food and less and less activity, the number of obese people in America has steadily increased since the 1960’s.

But what is obesity? Many people think obesity means that a person is overweight, but that’s not exactly true. An overweight person has a surplus amount of weight that includes muscle, bone, fat, and water. An obese person has a surplus of body fat. Most health professionals concur that a man is obese if he has over 25 percent body fat, and a woman is obese if she has over 30 percent. Women physiologically have more body fat than men, so that why there’s a difference in percentage.

It is difficult to determine the exact percentage of body fat a person has, but estimates can be made in a number of ways. First, using a tweezer-like tool called a caliper, you can measure the thickness of skin folds on different points of your body and compare the results with standardized numbers. You can also use a small device that sends a harmless electrical current through your body and measures your body fat percentage. The most commonly used method to determine if a person is obese is to look at his/her Body Mass Index (BMI). A person with a BMI over 30 is considered to be obese, and a BMI over 40 is considered to be severely obese. It’s important to remember though that BMI could be misleading in pregnant or lactating women and in muscular individuals. There are some free tools to find your body fat percentage at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/body-fat-calculator.html.

With obesity, comes the increased risk of diseases such as high blood pressure, Type II Diabetes, heart disease, and breast, colon, and prostate cancer. In addition, obesity has been linked to mental health conditions such as depression or feelings of shame and low self-esteem. Health experts say that even losing 10 to 15 percent of your body weight can dramatically decrease the risk of developing these serious conditions. In addition, many obese people are discriminated against and targets of insults and other verbal abuse. Find out if you are at risk for health disease using the health calculators at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/high-blood-pressure.html.

A number of factors, such as poor diet, lack of physical activity, genetics, and certain medical disorders, cause obesity, but it can be conquered. One major obstacle to being more physically active is motivation and accountability. Find a friend with similar fitness goals and begin a simple exercise program together. It takes time to see the results, but your health is worth it!

Written by Shelley Hitz, Licensed Physical Therapist and Certified NASM Personal Trainer.
Sign up for her free Exercise Advice journal at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com/journal.html or read more of her articles at http://www.abs-exercise-advice.com.

How to become a website designer

2007-01-21T22:19:00.000-08:00

By David Sielicki

Are you looking to get into website design for the first time? This overview is really aimed at people who want to adopt this as a pastime or perhaps those of you who are looking to move your career in that direction. But this is a complex subject, right? Well yes it can be, but it is actually quite simple if you want to develop a straightforward website for personal use and you have no aspirations to try and sell your services in the future.

In my opinion, you shouldn't begin to think about starting out as a web designer unless you are reasonably technical or at least you have more than a passing interest in the Internet. My own interest started out because I am passionate about the Internet as a communication medium. One important thing it is worth flagging up from the outset is that web design can be addictive and don't even think about it if you don't have an understanding partner! It can become an all-consuming activity very quickly as you begin to master the technologies.

So what do you need to start out in web design? Well for sure you need a computer and Internet connection - your first tick in the box! Secondly, you need some software to 'code' your web design. For starters, you can get all sorts of freeware and shareware off the web and you can begin by searching for 'HTML Editors'. Don't worry about what this stands for, as it's irrelevant. You will need a HTML Editor to create the code for your website. As you move up the website learning curve, you will more than likely want to invest in commercial software such as Microsoft's FrontPage or something like Dreamweaver. "So that's all I need?" I hear you ask. Well, it would be handy to start out with a few reference books to get you started. Getting your first rung on the web design ladder is probably the hardest part and it can be quite frustrating in the early stages as you try and figure out the technicalities. However, there are masses of help on the Web, but I cannot recommend highly enough that you at least get a reference book like "Website Design for Dummies" to make things a little easier.

Most of the HTML Editors are WYSIWYG (what you see is what you get), so this will make life so much easier for you. As your skills progress you will inevitably start to look at other people's web design techniques and study the code they have used to develop certain things that catch your eye as you browse the Web. At this point you will need to begin to understand how the code works and things will begin to get more complicated. In a matter of weeks you will be talking knowledgably about Tables, CSS, Java Script etc. You will become the 'office bore' before you know it!

Finally, you will need to think about how you will get your fledgling website out in front of the unsuspecting public i.e. on the Internet. You're unlikely to want to go and buy a domain name and a hosting package from day one, so it's probably best if you check out what your Internet Service Provider offers you for free. Most of the larger companies offer limited facilities to publish your web pages at no cost and this is a great starting point.

One thing is for sure. If and when you actually get to the point of publishing your work of art so you can access it via the Web, you will be glowing with pride and fascination. I certainly did and it's quite an addictive feeling. Then the fun begins trying to attract visitors to your website, but that can wait for another day. Good luck!

David Sielicki is a Product Manager with www.fetcher.co.uk the UK’s Products and Services Directory. He is also a part time web designer.

Check Out The Best of the Best Myths

2007-01-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

By Morgan Hamilton

The best of the best myths, urban or social myths, have been given a rigorous going-over. I think we've all heard these urban legends throughout our lives and the kind of fun to talk about. First we grew out of the old folk myths that our parents used as forms of domestic control: we realized that eating watermelon seeds would not grow a whole fruit in our bellies, that crossing our eyes would not make our eyes stick that way, and, sadly, we learned there was no Santa Claus, no Tooth Fairy, no Easter Bunny, no dead man with a hook for an arm…. and who can forget that mom and dad always had to walk 5 miles in the snow to get to school... uphill both ways.

Do remember the one about Pop rocks and cola? As it went if you put a bunch of proper action your math and chased it down with some soda, it would explode. That's one of my all-time favorites. Or what about the one about Bubble Yum bubble gum? Whenever you put it into a piece of Bubble Yum it had a bit of a crunch to it. That was due to the fact that it was loaded with sugar. But as one of the best of the best myths, the story had it at the con actually contained spiders eggs and that's where the crunching came from. I love that one.

As Munich freelance writer Klaus Manhart reiterates in his article, “Likely Story,” in Scientific American Mind, humans need myths. The “brain needs a story…” he writes, and the brain needs, once the story is told, to be able to “explain the unexplainable,” [as Manhart notes Joseph Campbell discovered] to follow through on its imperative to “impose order on the world.”

Maybe he's right in his theory about why we need myths, we are also called to our accountability when it comes to potentially damaging myths. I guess that makes us feel smart when we figure them out. Enter the inquisitive and curious John Stossel, 20/20’s challenging reporter, to deconstruct the media-driven myths of 2005.

As reported by LBN (Late Breaking News), John Stossel took it upon himself to de-mystify his version of the best of the best of myths--numbers one through ten as follows:

Number 10: Americans have less free time than we used to.

Number 9. Money buys happiness.

Number 8: Republicans shrink government.

Number 7: The world is getting too crowded.

Number 6. Chemicals are killing us.

Number 5: Guns are bad.

Number 4: We're drowning in garbage.

Number 3: We're destroying our forests.

Number 2: Getting cold will give you a cold.

Number 1: Life is getting worse.

Now granted, minds such as those belonging to Manhart, Stossel, really have an overriding drive to have their world makes sense to them, to have and to find an explanation for the apparently unexplainable. But do we really need to figure everything out, in faith, in nihilistic determination and malcontented spite? There's nothing wrong with a little mystery and our lives is there?

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning lifestyle. Get all the information by visiting The Best of the Best Myths

Top 5 Resume Mistakes

2007-01-19T20:29:00.000-08:00

By Kevin Augustine

The resume: gateway to your future, toll booth on the road to success, and many more interesting metaphors. Whichever way you look at it, your resume is the key to landing a great job. However, even though this is a widely recognized fact, I still see resumes come across my desk with glaring errors and obvious problems. With this in mind, I've compiled a list of the biggest five resume mistakes that I see which are easily preventable.

Here's the list I've put together (in no particular order):

Top Five Resume Mistakes

Forget to include your contact information - This seems silly, but it happens more often than you might think, especially on resumes submitted through an internet form. ALWAYS double check to make sure you have all your appropriate contact information on your resume. This includes the following: Name, address, phone number (cell, home or both just make sure you can be reached at it), and email address (necessary in today's workplace). Key points: Remember to always include this information, and to always make sure it's up to date.
Use an inappropriate personal email address - For example, if your college email address was "idrinkalot@kegmaster.com" then this would not be acceptable to put on your resume. This is exactly the wrong kind of impression to give your potential employer. When it comes down to you and another candidate, you don't want them thinking of you as "the kegmaster". My advice is to get a new email address to use for your resumes (it is extremely easy to get any number of web email addresses), and use the following format: first name.last name@generic provider.
Lie about your experience/skills - Obviously, you shouldn't make up jobs on your resume. What I'm trying to get at here is two fold: Lying about your position or responsibilities, and lying about your skill set. A good example of the first one is to say that you were the store manager when in reality the actual store manager left you in charge for 15 minutes once when he went to lunch. To the second point, an example of this would be to say that you are a database expert when in reality you've probably just used something that might have had a database attached to it. These kinds of lies may get you in the door, but eventually they'll push you right back out. Remember: When you lie on your resume, someone ALWAYS finds out, even if it takes awhile.
Go over two pages - This is an age old debate: How long do you make your resume? In my opinion, you should try to keep it to one page if possible. Employers don't have time to sort through a book of your accomplishments. This also makes you highlight your best qualities and experience rather than drowning them out in a sea of other information. However, with that being said, it is acceptable to go over one page in the following instance: to put additional skills on your resume. Mainly this is for technical skills, but don't cut something out that will help you get that job. If you're going over a paragraph into a second page, stop and evaluate what you're doing. Don't use a second page just because you can, only use it if you really need the space to sell yourself. Bottom line: Never go over two pages, that's the quickest way to get your resume placed in the nearest circular file.
Provide poor references - With this one, you are basically shooting yourself in the foot, maybe both feet. An employer will call a reference to put a face to the experience you have put on your resume. A good reference will lock the job up for you. A bad reference will place you in the "don't call us, we'll call you" category. What makes a bad reference? A bad reference is not just someone who doesn't like you, it's also is someone who doesn't know you well or really didn't work with you. A key point to remember is to ALWAYS ask your references first before you put them down. This way, they are not surprised when they get a call and you can get a feel for if you really want them to be one of your references.

Ok, I know I said Top Five but I have to sneak a sixth one in here: Spellchecking. If you don't spell-check your resume, don't even bother turning it in. Once I see rampant bad spelling and grammar, that's the end of the interview process for you. Read over your resume and spell check it thoroughly, you don't want something like spelling to lose you that job.

Overall, when writing your resume keep in mind that you are selling yourself. Take the extra time you need to really make you stand out to your potential employer. Falling into any one of the traps above immediately sends a bad message and shows that you didn't take the time to thoroughly go through your resume. If you can't nail your resume, how can you be expected to perform well at the job you are applying for?

At orkplace Life, I specialize in making the life of the everyday business professional easier. For free tutorials on common Microsoft Office applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel, career management advice, office life advice, funny office stories, and professional email tips visit http://www.workplacelife.com.

Get into Top Colleges Without Stress

2007-01-19T20:25:00.000-08:00

By Mimi Doe and Michele Hernandez

If you’re worried about your child getting into college – you aren’t alone. It takes real savvy and knowledge in today's over the top, competitive admissions process, that’s for sure. But, it also takes a balanced and healthy approach to the process. It is possible to understand this new admission’s terrain without losing your mind.

Best-selling authors Mimi Doe (parenting guru) and Michele Hernandez (college consultant extraordinaire) have come to the rescue with a collection of tips and strategies for anxious parents and their frazzled teens. Follow their advice, take a deep breath, and Don’t Worry, You’ll Get In!

Top 10 Tips for Getting Into College Without Losing Your Mind

1. Create a printed list of all the schools to which you are applying. Give it to your guidance counselor so that he/she is sure to send the official school report to every college on your list. Your application is incomplete without the school’s documents even if your send in your part.

2. Keep in mind that there is a college for everyone. Sure, the Ivy Leagues are extremely tough to get into, but the truth is, once you get past the top 20 most competitive colleges most schools admit the majority of applicants.

3. Studies have shown that applying early decision increases your odds for acceptance dramatically. So, get going. Spend time the summer before your senior year discerning your clear first choice college, than prepare your application.

4. Keep it to yourself. Don’t enter into the frenzy of talk about colleges. This is your personal journey to finding the right college and getting crazy about everyone else’s opinions will only bring you down.

5. Identify the teacher who is your strongest supporter, and then do everything you can to stand out in his or her class. This is who you’ll go to fist for that ever important recommendation.

6. Learn the fine art of saying “no” to activities that take you off course. Focus on a few things that you love and become really good at them rather than frantically trying to do everything.

7. Set up a specific schedule during the year to study for any upcoming standardized test: For instance, Wednesday evenings from 9-10:00.

8. Make time to relax! High school shouldn’t be all SAT prep, hours of community service, and three different tutors in the name of “getting in.” Get a life and you’ll be much happier.

9. Let your academic passions guide your class choices. No college likes a “cookie cutter” applicant who follows the prescribed path and nothing else. The most interesting candidates follow their own interests and it shows.

10. Don’t believe all you read – the best way to find out about a particular school is to visit in person, speak to students, observe a class and meet professors. Otherwise, you’re just responding to slick marketing rather than actual traits of a college.

Head over to http://www.DontWorryGetIn.com and use some of our free tips and tools for college admissions. Also, sign up for our 2006 Application Boot Camp while there is still room.

By Mimi Doe and Michele Hernandez Co-Founders of Application Boot Camp and Co-Authors of "Don’t Worry, You’ll Get In!"

Best-selling authors Mimi Doe (parenting guru) and Michele Hernandez (college consultant extraordinaire) have come to the rescue with a collection of tips and strategies for anxious parents and their frazzled teens. Follow their advice, take a deep breath, and Don’t Worry, You’ll Get In! http://www.dontworrygetin.com http://www.hernandezcollegeconsulting.com

Dr. Michele Hernandez, is the countries top college consultant and author of A is For Admission and former Assistant Director of Admissions at Dartmouth College, and Mimi Doe, award winning author of Busy but Balanced and Nurturing Your Teenager’s Soul who holds an MEd from Harvard. Together this dynamic duo wrote Don’t Worry: You’ll Get In! They are the CoFounders of Application Boot Camp (for rising high school seniors) and Founders of DontWorryGetIn.com.

Is America the Last Home for Those Who Love the God of Love

2007-01-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

By Michael Bresciani

America is sliding fast toward becoming the next great post Christian nation behind Europe. This is what all Godless societies throughout time immemorial have thought would be their final advance. Secularism has always labored under the notion that civil government and secular society is all we need to get it right. Perhaps as it pertains to kooky religions, cults, heresies and pseudo Christian religions that may be true. The absence of real Christianity as given to us by Christ himself will produce a vacuum that no one can bear.

As a young man and a new believer I was told that true Christianity as not a religion at all but a great love affair. The people of God love God and his son Jesus Christ. Oddly it is because they find out how much he loves them and are awestruck by his compelling gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

In the Muslim religion God is painted as a murderous entity that requires that we kill and destroy anything or anyone who will not submit to its tenants. It is a picture that is diametrically opposite the picture of Christ dying on the cross not for anything he had done but for the sins in thought, word and deed done by all mankind. This is what draws enlightened men and women who have exercised reason good judgment and faith after investigating and prying into the matter with full cognizance. In other words Christianity requires some real thought not just the consent of dumbbells.

Christians don’t worship other Gods because they think they’ve got the best one. Rather he is the only one. There is only one creator and one redeemer and one King that shows up at the end of time to rule for all eternity. God is not jealous of other Gods, because there aren’t any. See now that I, even I, am he, and there is no god with me, De 32:39.

Mans insistence in creating other gods is evidence only of mans persistence in idolatry. Beyond that the darker and more sinister truth is that the god of this world (Satan) does not stop short of deceiving men with standard temptations. In addition to fame, fortune and power he has religion and those with the proclivity toward it in the palm of his hand. God knew better than to trust men to go shopping for a true religion as if they were trying to find a nice cut of meat. That also is what separates Christianity from any and all other religions.

God provides a revelation of who he is and exactly what he wants in the person of Jesus Christ. He allows no shopping around and does not encourage guesswork. Thank God. The only thing he doesn’t do is force faith on us but as a loving God allows us to see what he has done and to decide for ourselves if we want to get onboard. How else could he be sure if he had the right ones? If I was God I wouldn’t want the coerced, the threatened or the cajoled around me either. That’s not love!

We don’t believe because we are forced and we don’t obey on that premise either. Jesus said we would only obey him if we loved him. John 14:21 More amazing is that when we do decide to obey him the first, greatest and most compelling commandment of all is to spread the love around. Matthew 22:37 No diatribe against Islam or any other religion in the world here, just one deal…love. Got love?

Trying to imagine America without these people that love is harder for me to imagine than a world without the oceans or the moon or the trees. I have worshipped with faithful Catholics and Protestants of every kind. I have never needed an ecumenical manifesto to see that when they worship God in “spirit and in truth” they are all one regardless of what church they hail from.

I can’t see a country where there are not huge Catholic cathedrals and every sort of Baptist, Methodist, Presbyterian, Pentecostal and other types of churches to numerous to name spotting the roadsides in every city, town and village in America. I can’t imagine the names of the great evangelists no longer being mentioned like Billy Sunday, Billy Graham and great teachers such as Donald Barnhouse, R.C Sproul and others. It wouldn’t seem right, it wouldn’t be America.

Hearing the gospel being bellowed late at night on powerful radio stations while riding down the highway would leave only the secular rant of the news caster and the farm reports and God knows what kind of music. Many a soul would not have pulled their car over to the side of the road weeping after hearing of the love of God toward them. Not seeing the telecasts of TBN, CBN and televised gospel crusades would make television the “vast wasteland” a former head of the FCC once called it.

More than just the loss of familiar Americana the absence of the Christian faith and its visible churches would create a void for which there is no substitute. Godless secularism by its very nature requires a confidence and a strong will to maintain. After all it requires man to pull himself up by his own bootstraps. Intelligence, savvy human will and lots of other exaggerated notions are required to prop up pure existentialism. But Christ knows us better than that. We are not always strong, smart or aware but more often than not we are weak, wishy washy and woeful. Guess what, God doesn’t care about that, he only cares about you.

To the end of my feeble life I will always thank God that on any day of the week I can freely call a pastor, find a good church or a group of people to pray with. I will be thankful that I live in a country where I am not hindered from doing this at least for this moment in time. May God help us in our future?

Can the rush grow up without mire? can the flag grow without water? Whilst it is yet in his greenness, and not cut down, it withereth before any other herb. So are the paths of all that forget God; and the hypocrite's hope shall perish: Job 8:11-13

Rev Bresciani is the author of two Christian books one that is entirely on the second coming of Christ. He is a contributing columnist for several online news and commentary sites. His articles are read throughout the world. Please enjoy a visit to http://www.americanprophet.org

Things I Wish I Had Always Known

2007-01-18T19:45:00.000-08:00

By Carole Provenzale

What an exciting journey life can be! We were taught so many things growing up, to be polite, to respect others, to go to school and get good grades. We weren’t taught some very important things, probably because they are only learned through the school of “hard knocks.” I must have been absent that day but life lessons and challenges presented themselves and through the years I’ve learned how to (hopefully) best deal with this wonderful life gift we have been given.

GO WITH THE FLOW:

Things are not going to always go in the way we would like. Actually quite often they will go in the opposite direction from what we expected the outcome to be. It’s not what presents itself to us that matters as much as it is how we deal with it. Recognize it as a learning lesson, a challenge but also as a new opportunity to grow. By coming across different people, circumstances and challenges, we always learn a new (and hopefully) better way to deal with them. When they come up again, we are old hands at it if we’ve learned from prior experiences! When opposition presents, instead of fighting back so hard, sit back for a moment and see how to go with the flow of the life lessons that are being created.

SET CLEAR INTENTIONS:

Like attracts like, there is not getting around it. We are beings of Energy, we are surrounded by Energy and we need to focus on what we desire to create in our lives. It is essential to keep a positive attitude and just BE, knowing that the Universe has everything we need and want as long as we are sending the correct Intentions forth. This is an especially difficult principle to relay to people that have become depressed by circumstances. Changing your way of thinking from the negative to the positive has done amazing things that are documented: cured cancer, brought wealth beyond someone’s wildest dreams, attracted wonderful people into their lives to love and support them. Stay in the positive and you will get back the best possible outcomes.

LEARN TO LET GO:

Difficult as it can be, reassess your life and the people in it. Are they positive, like minded and do they support you when you need it most? Do they truly care about you or are they around you for another reason? I realized at one point that sadly enough, some of the people I called “friends” weren’t there for me, for the joyful occasions or the sad. And although some of them had been around for years, I needed to let go to be free to attract new people into my life that would truly care about me, support me and just BE there for me. Family members were a bit more difficult and I just cut down some of my time with them. Letting go of the old, and the known, is a difficult process but until we learn to let go we won’t have room in our lives for the wonderful new people to come into it.

COUNT ON YOURSELF:

You are stronger then you ever imagined. Learn to count on yourself and not rely on someone else for your needs, wants and successes. You create your own life, not someone else and you are armed with everything you need to create all the desires in your heart. Co-dependant became a big word years ago and unfortunately still applies today. Learn to take charge of your own life and watch what you will create!

ALLOW THE MESSAGES:

Some people complain they never get messages, yet they are sent to us all the time. From loved ones who have passed, from our Spirit Guides, from our Sixth Sense, from the Universe itself. Trust yourself to take the time to SEE them; they are important as they are what guide us through life. Often in these stressful times, we don’t even take the time to listen to our inner feelings---and kick ourselves later on, saying “I know I should (shouldn’t) have done that! We are working with Energy, learn to see, trust and believe in it and the messages will come to you. It’s the basis of Inspiration.

COUNT YOUR BLESSINGS:

I may sound like a broken record on this one, but it bears repeating (again and again sometimes). When you focus only on the negative, you are going to get back more of the same. Everyone has blessings, examine them, count them and as you keep those in mind, more will come. Counted Blessings add up to more blessings coming your way and soon you will have more then you ever imagined.

FIND THE SILVER LINING: Every cloud has one. It’s our job to find it and many times not an easy task. But it is there if we look. That silver lining is our window of opportunity to change the situation around and if we miss it, we have missed a chance to change and grow. A love has left you and you’re devastated? It also gives you more time to focus on YOU, things perhaps you didn’t have time to do that you can now get involved with, an opportunity to meet and surround yourself with new people, places, things and ideas. Find that silver lining and USE it.

A NEW WAY TO LOOK AT THINGS:

Oftentimes when we are “stuck” or just plain sad, we see things in only black and white. We are unable to see the options open to us, to look at the world and our lives in a different way. Open yourself up to learn something new, read a book full of inspirational stories, be open to things that you once looked at as “odd” or “different” as an opportunity to learn new things about yourself, your life and the way you are living it. For years Feng Shui was a “fad” until people discovered that it actually works. If you rely heavily on your doctors, for example, look into wholistic health alternatives as well. Read subjects you wouldn’t usually choose and make them inspiring---they will inspire you as well.

FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS:

Don’t allow anyone to stop or deter you from your dreams. Your life was not created to look back and wonder what would have happened if you had found your passion and not created it. Negative people will sometimes give us the wrong information and try to deter us from achieving what we really want. These are their own doubts and fears coming out and being projected onto you. Don’t allow it. You will never have to wonder what would have happened if you had only tried.

KEEP AN OPEN HEART:

You meet everyone in life for a reason. Open your heart to them; they were given to you as a gift or a learning tool. Don’t be too busy to pursue a new friendship, don’t just tell yourself the timing is wrong for a relationship, first step back a moment and see what these people are bringing to you and why you have attracted them. It is oftentimes for a wonderful reason, to meet a new and like minded person you have much in common with, a possible business partner or a new romance. Sometimes it is for challenges we must face. Just know they have come to you for a reason and keep your heart open to all who enter your own special space in the world.

Feng Shui Expert

Certified Feng Shui Consultant since 1997 and Founder of Feng Shui Long Island, Carole Provenzale has been providing personalized and very affordable consultations for all of Long Island, New York City and Queens for Homes, Offices and Realtors for Home Staging with Feng Shui Principles. She seeks to impart Feng Shui knowledge to her clients and teaches them Feng Shui Principles and all the learning tools they will require as well as providing space clearings and and exterior blessings and a complete assessment of their homes or businessiness from an exterior and interior point of view. Carole is also a published author and keynote speaker for large and small corporations including NewCorp Corporation and The Long Island Board of Realtors and is available for lectures and workshops.

Please visit http://www.FengShuiLI.com or email her directly at FengShuiLI@aol.com for further information

Top Ten Beaches in the World

2007-01-18T19:43:00.000-08:00

By Dakota Caudilla

The sun, the soft sand sifting through your toes and fingers, the salty wind blowing in from the sea, the sound of waves…the ultimate holiday and vacation! If you’re like everyone else in this world, you should be looking for some of the top beaches in the world. And lucky for you, we have done the research on the world’s most popular beaches and have listed them here for you in no particular order.

The first one is Poipu Beach, Hawaii. If you believe in Paradise, this is it. In terms of a beach, this is definitely a world-class beach and should not be missed. Absolutely breathtaking! Poipu Beach is recently named America’s top beach by The Travel Channel with the most extensive golden sand and provides a host of activities for travelers and beach-lovers.

The second on the list is Matira Beach, also another not-to-be-missed beach! Matira Beach is one of those magical islands of Bora Bora that makes up French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Long and lazy stretches of beach with whispering shores is what you can expect from Matira Beach. In fact, Matira Beach is as magical and enchanting as it comes. It’s not called the world’s most romantic beach for nothing. People flock to Matira Beach to make proposals – imagine that!

Just when you thought there is nothing more to Mexico but Tequila and snakes, in comes Maroma Beach. Maroma Beach is more like a holiday resort getaway destination offering a combination of luxurious resorts and spas; and 500 acres of beach and rain forest.

Next on the list of top ten beaches are Pink Sands and South Sands – nestled on the edges of Salcombe. A contending beach would be the Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. The beaches are filled with beach-goers almost all year round and who can blame them? Inexpensive accommodation and traveling makes these beaches the top few beaches in the world!

If you’re hooked on surfing, don’t forget to drop by Biarritz Beach on a holiday. It’s an absolute haven for surfers with 2 large beaches and a myriad of smaller beaches in between. And France also offers holiday-goers and beach-lovers a gem of a beach in the form of the St. Tropez beach. Who doesn’t know that St. Tropez is well known for its bikinis and beachwear groundbreaking fashion rules? St. Tropez is a hot favorite among Hollywood stars and is nestled along the French Riveria. It pays that St. Tropez beach is also a short drive from Nice and Cannes.

Coming up next is the Clifton Beach on Cape Town, South Africa. One of the most amazing sceneries can be found there. Imagine enjoying the beach with the gorgeous Table Mountain as a backdrop. There’s never anything quite like that on a beach. And if you’re looking for a natural and exotic beach, you might want to try out Anse de Argent beach in Seychelles. For nature-lovers, Anse de Argent is heaven!

Dakota Caudilla, journalist, and website builder Dakota Caudilla lives in Texas. He is the owner and co-editor of http://www.the-great-outdoors.info on which you will find a longer, more detailed version of this article.

Top 12 Resume Blunders

2007-01-17T21:49:00.000-08:00

By Judi Perkins

1. A BLAND OR GENERIC OBJECTIVE: If your objective could be applied to a marketing resume as easily as a resume for an accounting position, then your objective says nothing and will get you nowhere. An objective is NOT some required paragraph at the top of the page that is an exercise in 5 lines of job speak. It's an actual and real description of your skills as they're related to who you are and what you want. It should vary with the type of job for which you are applying.

2. BLAND JOB DETAILS: "Responsibilities included overseeing construction of 4 Hilton Hotels in Tri-City Metro Area, each 50 floors in height." Yeah? So what? That doesn't say if they went up on schedule or if you brought the projects in under budget. It doesn't say if you took all four from site work up or if the guy handling two of the four hotels was fired and you were promoted to overseeing all four. Differentiate yourself from the others coming in to interview. If you don't tell the hiring company how you will be an asset to them, how will they know?

3. ANOTHER JOB, ANOTHER PARAGRAPH: Don't keep adding on to your resume job after job, year after year. By the time you're in your 40s, you need to have weeded out some of the earlier stuff. You don't need all the college activities, just your degree. You don't need ALL 5 bullets for each of your first two jobs.

4. REFERENCES: Shouldn't be listed on your resume. "References available on request" is the proper phrase. You present them separately when they're requested. This isn't about protocol. This is about protecting your references so they aren't called until you and the company are serious about each other.

5. IT'S NOT A STORY!: Don't - whatever you do, DON'T - write your resume in the third person!

6. SKIP THE PERSONAL INFO: You might think your weekend baseball coaching or your church choir participation shows you're an interesting and well-rounded person, but they're irrelevent. If the interviewer wants to know who you are as a person, aside from the job interview and your qualifications, he'll ask.

7. DEGREE DATE: No matter how old you are, don't leave the date of when you were graduated off your resume. It looks like you're hiding something (well, you are, aren't you?), and then everyone counts the years backwards and tries to figure out how old you are. Sometimes you can be ruled out - just for leaving the date off. If you're trying to hide your age by not stating the date, what else might you not be forthcoming about?

8. SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK, SPELL CHECK: Spell checking visually by you AND someone else, any fewer than three times, isn't enough. And don't forget to check your punctuation.

9. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part one: Don't use one of those resume blaster things. Half those sites aren't even valid. You don't know how it will come out on the other end. You don't even know where it's going or if the landing targets are employment related. It's bad form and just....NOT the way to find your perfect job. Finding your perfect job takes focus, attention, detail, individuality, tailoring, specifics. Resume blasting is about as far from that as you can get.

10. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part two: If it's an ad, you probably have instructions as to how to send it. If it says email, cut and paste it in the form, AND attach it. You never know what it can look like on the other end because of the variety of settings available to each user. Quite frankly, you're better off not emailing it at all, because it usually just goes into cyber space, and then it's all about the hiring company - but unfortunately, besides not sending it at all, sometimes that's your only choice. Emailing your resume takes any option for further participation right out of your hands, because often there's not even a name given for a follow up contact. You've no other option than to wait and wonder.(And it's just going to HR anyway.

11. GETTING YOUR RESUME OUT THERE - part three: If you know the company, call and ask if they prefer email, fax, or snail mail. I know a recruiter who never even opened his email. Because he was listed in The Kennedy Guide to Executive Recruiters, he received so many resumes emailed to him cold (so NOT pro-active) that he just did a mass delete every morning. Candidates contacted for a specific search were requested to snail mail their resume to him. How about that? I'll bet less than 10% of those who emailed their resumes even bothered to follow up to see if it was received (this isn't a numbers game).

12. RESUME VISUALS: Ivory paper. Black ink. Individual pages. No plastic, 7th grade, science report cover with the plastic slider or metal push down tabs. Your name centered at the top, not on a cover page that says "Introducing Clifton Lewis Montgomery III". No exceptions. Your resume is a professional document, not a school book report or an art project. Until every resume is done this way, yours will still stand out in the crowd.

You are the product, and your resume is the marketing piece. To find your perfect job you must differentiate yourself from the other people who will be interviewed.

Your resume must be specific, individualized, easy to skim so it invites a closer reading, and focused on the differences you've made with your previous companies, as well as the accomplishments you've achieved with - and for - them. This tells the hiring company what you can do for them - and it IS about the hiring company, not you.

Of course this assumes you meet the requirements for the job - otherwise it doesn't matter how good your resume is! The resume is what gets you in the door. If your resume is poorly written, looks sloppy, is difficult to read, is cryptic in any way, or necessitates being slogged through to learn your information (they won't bother), you won't even get in the door. And how can you decide whether you like the company, if they've already decided they don't like you?

Judi Perkins has been a search consultant for 25 years in both the contingency and retained market, with a short stint in the temporary and local permanent placement markets. She has owned her own firm and successfully assisted numerous repeat clients in hiring all levels of management. She is a Career Expert and Forum Moderator with http://www.CareerCube.net To sign up for her newsletter and learn thousands of powerful concepts to find your perfect job go to http://www.findtheperfectjob.com

Put the World on Your PC With Google Earth

2007-01-17T21:48:00.000-08:00

By Douglas Hanna

Google has a fantastic, new, free program for those of you with a broadband connection. It's called Google Earth. And it's just flat amazing.

First, how you get Google Earth

Getting Google Earth is simple. Just go to google,com, and click on More When the next screen opens, scroll down until your see Earth in the Tools category. When you click on Earth,,, a window titled Google Earth –Explore, Search and Discover will open Scroll down to and click on Get Google Earth (Free Version). Click on Download Google Earth and follow the directions to install the program on your computer.

What you will see

When Google Earth opens, you will see Earth as seen from space, a search box and two panels labeled “Places” and “Layers.” You can ignore these for now and just type in an address in the search box. You need to include, the street address, city and state, with these three elements separated by commas. For example, 1108 Walnut St, Omaha, NE.

After you type in the address – and your house might be a good place to start – Google Earth will rapidly zoom in on the address just as if you were zooming in from outer space. It will stop about 1,000 feet above the address you searched on. You can zoom in even further using the + and – buttons at the bottom of the program, but the picture may eventually become blurry, depending on what resolution your display is set to. (Note: Be sure to check your display's settings to make sure they match Google's recommendations.)

What happens next

After you've zoomed in on your house (or whatever address you typed in the search box), you can pick another address or a place such as the Grand Canyon. Google will do “fly over” to the new address or location just as if you were flying over the globe in a very fast jet plane.

Once you get the hang of it, you can go to and zoom in on locations all over the U.S. Or the world for that matter. You can even save addresses or places to make it easy to get back to them in the future.

Google Earth is just a kick. Go ahead and try it. I'm sure you'll find it's literally hours of fun.

Something else that's new and free is HD Radio that enables AM and FM radio stations to broadcast their programs digitally. These digital broadcasts provide listeners with radically improved audio quality, more radio channels through multicasting, and new data services. To learn allabout this amazing new technology, just go my Web site, http://www.hd-radio-home.com, to get all the buzz.

Douglas Hanna is a retired marketing executive and the author of numerous articles on HD radio, the Internet and family finances.

The Best Mystery Books of 2006

2007-01-17T21:46:00.000-08:00

By Sandy Mitchell

The Thirteenth Tale -- If you read just one mystery novel this year, make it this wonderful debut by Diane Setterfield. The story is carefullly and subtly crafted and it's Gothic-style plot grabs the reader early on and doesn't let go. As as added plus, Ms. Setterfield's expert use of language is impressive and refreshing.

Lisey's Story -- The latest from master storyteller Stephen King. Though I have never been an ardent King fan, this novel has a maturity and depth that many of his earlier works lack. Although it does continue the required horror tale, it is first and foremost a love story and in the end tells us as much about King as it does his characters.

The Mission Song -- I've enjoyed John le Carre's novels since the mid-1970s. His Little Drummer Girl was the first hardcover that I bought away from the remainder table -- a sure sign to me at the time that I'd really made it. I've tracked his work from the demise of the Cold War (the set of his first novels) to the many other arenas of conflict throughout the world.

Le Carre's latest, The Mission Song, brings back much of the intrigue of those Cold War novels. His hero is intriguing, mostly for his being less than perfect, and the levels of deception are chilling and believable.

Mephisto Club -- This year's release for up-and-coming mystery writer, Tess Gerritsen, Mephisto Club is a sophisticated tale of murder and characters who are different than they seem. This fast-paced novel left me eager for her next offering.

Break No Bones -- The most recent in a series of novels by Kathy Reichs, Break No Bones, is a fast-paced and exciting read. This group of mystery books, which feature forensic anthropologist Temperence Brennan, are the basis for the popular television series, "Bones," but the action is far from predictable.

Sandy Mitchell is a full-time freelance writer and ardent mystery fan. She edits and writes for Suite 101's mystery and crime fiction http://mysterycrimefiction.suite101.com. There you'll find book reviews, author profiles, interviews with up-and-coming mystery writers, and a blog about what's new in the mystery genre.

Stem Cell Research

2007-01-16T22:20:00.000-08:00

By Gerald Armstrong

How To Buy Your Way Out Of An Early Death From An Incurable Disease.

How?... With private stem cell research, of course!…Stem cell research holds more than hope for cures. The jury is in on stem cell research. Stem cell research can offer a cure for your incurable illness. With private stem cell research a personal cure for an ill patient can be accelerated. With every michroscope in the lab tuned into your unique disease a rapid cure is guaranteed. Private stem cell research for the wealthy (that will eventually lead to cures for everyone) has arrived!

So now you are all relaxed about your health’s future because some countries such as Switzerland and some American states such as California are beginning to endorse stem cell research.We too are excited about this ground breaking research. Unfortunately these researchers will be working with one hand tied behind their back because these countries and California are working with restrictive legislation that forbids or impedes the cloning of human embryos. That’s like giving them permission to build the fastest car in the world but with the restriction of not allowing them to put a motor in the car!

That’s why the major new cures for cancer, heart disease, stroke, and other incurable diseases will ultimately come from small offshore labs working without restrictive legislation from the western world. Thank God for the sake of our health that there is a world outside the United States and the Western countries. The number one lab in the world offering excellence in medical research is Gen Cells Cures owned by Gerald Armstrong. Our motto is “Have Michroscope will travel” When a government gets in the way of our life –saving research we will pack up our michroscopes and move on.

When Alexander Grahm Bell patented his telephone in 1876 it was the difference of a half turn of a screw that put him in the patent office before Elisha Gray. With only one company in the Grand Unites States openly working on therapeutic cloning, the U.S.A is left in the dust where innovative research and future cures are concerned.The U.S. was once at the forefront of medicine and technology, research and innovation, cures and prevention. Now the job falls into the hands of the few working outside America. In many cases the work will be done by Americans. Even the Korean’s who first cloned the human embryo had help from steady American hands, but the work was done in Korea by Koreans, not in America by Americans. We here at Gen Cells Cures have found that the Korean’s new technique of squeezing out the DNA from the egg cell works much better than sucking out the DNA with a tiny needle. Their cloning process was a spectacular achievement.

The only American company working openly with therapeutic cloning research in the country is Advanced Cell Tech. When the cure comes it will likely come from Gen Cells Cures or some other little basement lab out in the middle of nowhere. Gen Cells Cures wants the opportunity to find cures for major incurable diseases such as cancer, heart disease, stroke, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimers disease, diabetes and other dreaded incurable diseases. The only problem with Gen Cells Cures and Advanced Cell Tech is that both of these biotechs are always running out of the money needed to do the research. Getting private funding is like pulling teeth. It’s not easy work. The cure cannot come from the western world with restrictive legislation backed by ignorance and obscurantism. All that controversy over a stem cell smaller than the period at the end of this sentence. Even if stem cell research (with it’s restrictive limitations) had all the funding in the world there will not be a cure found until all the research is completed and that includes the therapeutic cloning stem cell research. Through out history their have always been those people with dark age thinking who have held back scientific progress. Sadly, US President, George Bush is a victim of such limited thinking. Gen Cells Cures michroscopes already have Alexander Grahm Bell’s half turn of the screw built in for success with no U.S. competition.

Non-embryonic stem cell research has produced therapies for more than forty ailments including, heart disease, lupus, spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, diabetes, Crohn’s disease, brain hemorrhage, brain tumors, retinoblastoma, ovian cancer, sarcomas, scleroderma, multiple myeloma, leukemia, renal cell carcinoma, breast cancer and others. There have been no therapies from embryonic stem cell research so far simply because researchers have been using generic stem cells and there has not been one penny of public or private research money available for the real solution, therapeutic cloning stem cell research. While adult stem cell research received 190 million dollars from the U.S federal government in 2003. Therapeutic cloning stem cell research received zero dollars in funding support in 2003! What can you expect with zero dollars allotted to this life-saving research. Why hasn’t there been a cure from therapeutic cloning stem cell research so far? The answer is plain and simple, fear and ignorance has restricted the research!

Gen Cells Cures doesn’t like working with generic stem cells created from an egg and a sperm cell. There is no genetic match for our patient and you destroy the embryo that could have gone on to become a baby. The company likes working with perfectly matched cells created from a patient’s skin cell and a human egg cell. You have a perfect genetic match and the stem cell is made young again . While we like the applications of adult stem cells and will use adult cells until we unravel the secrets of therapeutic cloning. We would rather have our cure come from perfectly matched fresh young stems cells rather than adult stem cells that are as old as our patient! We see the somatic cell nuclear transferred stem cell brought back to the beginning of life as the key to unlocking the aging clock. We just don’t see a skin cell matched with an egg cell as a human being.

Fortunately for those of you with the ways and means and the vision to see the new dawn of stem cell research there is a way out for you and that way out is your own private medical research, (private stem cell research.) Gen Cells Cures is searching desperately for the funding to carry out the research that has been put on indefinite hold in the U.S. and the West. If someone knows a millionaire or a billionaire without a cause, please direct him or her to this stem cell research article. And if you know some one who is in desperate need of a cure, but is poor send him or her to us anyway. Maybe we can find their cure with our dime store michroscopes while we wait for the support to arrive to buy the high quality michroscopes we need to do the job. God tends to look after his flock. Gen Cells Cures offers stem cell research that includes a combination of an accumulation of today’s best science and molecular biology that fuses therapeutic cloning stem cell research and genomics, (without political or legislative restraints.) Gen Cells Cures futuristic medical research technologies are available to the public now! Stem cell therapies and cures are just around the corner brought to you by Gen Cell Cures advanced stem cell research... No FDA approval needed! Stem cell research, stem cell research and more stem cell research is your solution and stem cell research is the solution for the world.

You have my permission to publish this article electronically or in print, free of charge, as long as the bylines are included. A courtesy copy of your publication would be appreciated.

Article by Gerald Armstrong- scientist0707@yahoo.com

Hello, Ladies and Gentlemen, I am Gerald Armstrong the owner of Gen Cells Cures a biotech dedicated to finding “The Cure” for incurable diseases and aging. Introducing to the world, the miracle of private, personalized medical research for the individual. I am passionate about molecular biology and what we can do with science to find “The Cure” for those of you suffering from aging and incurable diseases. http://www.msnusers.com/cures

Interview Guide To Secure The Job You Want

2007-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

By Michael Russell

Attending a job interview requires careful preparation. The more you prepare the more confident and informed you will be, increasing your chances of creating a good impression. It is vital that your first impression leaves the interviewer feeling positive about you. In some cases it's the only opportunity you will have to impress the interviewer with your knowledge and skills, so make the most of it. There are no second chances.

Some of the most important things to remember are:-

Be sure you know the exact location of the interview and where to report when you arrive.

Recheck the job requirements. Become familiar with the requirements of your potential employer

Have all your paperwork to hand that maybe required including any references.

Prepare your answers to anticipated questions. You know the job requirements so think of other questions which may be asked about you and such as your ideas, opinions and general interests.

Do some research on the Company which is recruiting. This is important. It will enable you to ask pertinent questions, proving that you are sufficiently interested in the company by having spent time and effort in gleaning as much information as possible about it. Such research reflects a keen enthusiasm for the job on offer.

Try not to display any signs of nervousness. Always be confident and positive and be clear and concise in your answers to questions. Self assurance rather than arrogance is often the key to a successful interview. On no account resort to "waffle". It will only make you look foolish. There are several things you can do to make the interview pleasant and successful, depending on your approach.

When you attend an interview always take care with your dress. Dress smartly without being overdressed or too casual. We have mentioned before the need to appear confident and it is essential to appear confident when first meeting the person or persons who are carrying out the interview. As we have said you only get the one chance to make a good impression. It is particularly important to be punctual. Being late for an appointment is inexcusable as it indicates you are unreliable. It is far better to err on the safe side and be an hour early rather than five minutes late. If you are too early you can always brush up your interview preparation, have a coffee or go for a walk until the appointed time.

When you enter the office where the interview is being held, show that you're at ease, smile at and offer a handshake to the interviewer. Wait until you are asked before you sit down and hold on to any papers or brief case you carrying until you're actually sitting down. Never put any of your belongings onto the desk or table at which the interviewers are seated. Assume a polite expression and don't slouch. Once you have met the interviewer(s) and the introductions are completed you can now relax. Take a look round, be observant, interested and alert.

Now is the chance to show how proficient and experienced you are. This is the moment to exhibit your professionalism along with your knowledge and skills. If there's a question you don't understand ask for it to be repeated. If you still don't understand the question say so. If the interviewer outlines a problem within their company offer a solution, or at least make a suggestion on how the problem may be overcome. Always be positive, accurate and clear. Showing these attributes helps to convince the interviewer that you have self control, a requirement for any person who needs to exercise control in the workplace. To add to your credibility always ask questions about the company, its plans and past performance in addition to what developments are due to take place. Also ask what your prospects will be if you prove you have the ability to control, develop and improve on the current job under offer.

At the end of the interview you will be told you'll be informed of the outcome. Thank the interviewer(s) for their attention and time and confirm you are still interested in the job (if you are) before you leave.

The above points will help you to perform well at a job interview. Think about them and apply them and you'll have a considerable advantage over all the other applicants.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Interviews

Nutrients for Brain Health

2007-01-16T22:18:00.000-08:00

By John Gibb

The brain is clearly one of the most important parts of our body. With many of the processes and functions of the brain still not fully understood, it can be difficult to tell exactly what you need to help make it function properly. There are some supplements on the market, however, which clearly display a remarkable effect on the health of this crucial organ. Here are a few of them:

Fish Oil:
Harvested from the bodies of fish, fish oil is purified through a scientific process and turned into supplement form. Containing Omega-3 fatty acids, fish oil can have numerous effects on your body for the better. For one, fish oil can aid in preventing the onset of Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been associated with better memory, clearer thinking, and health of the heart. One of the best nutrients for brain health, this supplement’s effect on your body can be vast.

Be sure to only purchase pharmaceutical grade fish oil, however, since this is the process which removes the heavy metals found in fish due to pollutants. If your fish oil is not pharmaceutical grade, you run the risk of consuming such dangerous materials as mercury.

St. John’s Wort:
A remedy for depression that has been used for centuries, this naturally occurring substance has far less side-effects than the anti-depressants offered by the drug companies. All but proven to elevate moods and ward off depression, this herb is rapidly gaining validity as an anti-depressant in the scientific community. It can be purchased in supplement format.

Gingko Biloba:
Harvested from the oldest species of tree naturally occurring on the planet, Gingko can help keep your brain in its finest working condition. Used for over 5,000 years, ginkgo is known for its help in aiding memory loss and age-related circulation problems. Studies show that ginkgo may help increase blood flow to the brain and stimulate neural activities, resulting in better short-term memory.

John Gibb is the owner of Nutrition guides, a website offering free nutrition advice and a quality nutrition book with special offers for newsletter subscribers.

http://www.nutrtional-supplment-guides.com/what-we-use.html

Dedicated to optimsing health.

Quit Your Day Job: 10 Steps to Venturing Out on Your Own

2007-01-16T22:15:00.000-08:00

By Stephanie Chandler

If you’re one of the 58% of Americans who have considered starting a business but don’t know how to proceed, help is at hand. The following steps will show you how to transform your dream of business ownership into reality.

1. Figure out what you want to do. You’re not alone if you know that you want to work for yourself but aren’t yet sure what exactly you want to do. Start by making a list of your interests, talents, and skills. Talk to your family and friends and begin brainstorming ideas. The sooner you begin your quest, the sooner you will find the answers.

2. Start saving now. It is wise to have at least one year’s worth of living expenses in the bank before you quit your day job. It will take time to make a new business profitable, and it could take longer than you expect. Start saving now so you can be prepared for the worst while you hope for the best.

3. Educate yourself. You can take classes through your local Small Business Administration (www.SBA.org) or seek free small business counseling from the Service Corp. of Retired Executives (www.score.org). Business books and magazines are also essential, and so are industry-specific trade associations.

4. Utilize a checklist. There are many tasks involved in starting a business and using a checklist will help you keep your priorities in order. Take it a step further by adding target completion dates to each task.

5. Formulate a plan. No matter what business you decide to start, it’s crucial that you outline a plan for success. A formal business plan is best, but at the very least begin by mapping out your goals and ideas. Committing your plan to paper will help you anticipate the direction of your business and identify potential weaknesses.

6. Obtain licenses and permits. Business license requirements vary by state and county, so check with your county offices to find out what the requirements are for your area. In most cases you will pay an annual fee to renew your license ranging from $50 to $300.

7. Start part-time. There are numerous advantages to starting your business part-time. If you can find a way to keep your day job while you launch your venture, you will have the opportunity to test your business model and make sure it’s viable while you evaluate your passion for the business and determine if it’s something you would truly enjoy on a full-time basis. You can also reinvest any profits from the part-time venture into the future of the business, and may even be able to take advantage of home business tax deductions at the end of the year (talk to your accountant for assistance).

8. Dedicate the time it takes. Planning your business will take free time from your day, but if it’s something you want badly enough, it can be worth the sacrifice. You can get up an hour earlier, skip the evening news, or work during your lunch hour. This extra work time will also prepare you for the first two years of business ownership, which typically require long hours.

9. Develop a backup plan. Many businesses fail due to under-capitalization. Forecast the cash that you need for both your business and your living expenses and have backup sources for money in case you get into a jam.

10. Don’t take the leap until you’re ready. Before you even think about quitting your day job, make sure you have everything in place: a solid business plan, enough capital to make the business successful, a savings account to cover personal living expenses, insurance (medical, dental, liability and any other required policies), a thorough understanding of what you’re in for, a backup plan if things don’t go as expected, and the passion to make it succeed.

Unfortunately there are no guarantees in business. You could have a rock solid business plan but be hit with a natural disaster, new competition in your area, or other uncontrollable circumstances. As long as you don’t invest more than you can afford to lose and your business is carefully-planned, you can minimize many of the risks and increase your chances of success.

Stephanie Chandler is the author of “The Business Startup Checklist and Planning Guide: Seize Your Entrepreneurial Dreams!” and founder of http://www.BusinessInfoGuide.com, a directory of resources for entrepreneurs. Subscribe to the newsletter for hot tips and small business tools by sending an e-mail to Newsletter@BusinessInfoGuide.com.

Quick Tips for the Busy Bride-To-Be

2007-01-16T02:52:00.000-08:00

By Vanessa Wakeman

1. Crunch the Numbers.

Set a realistic budget and stick to it. If there are specific elements or details that are important to you then spend money there and reduce the budget in other categories.

2. Get organized.

There are 100s of details that must be managed in order for your wedding day to go smoothly. Write everything down and keep a calendar of deadlines and contact information.

3. It’s in the Details.

For a wedding, the smallest details make the greatest impact. Pay attention to color schemes, try interesting seating arrangements and make table top displays dramatic. Take your guests on a journey of surprise and anticipation as the elements of your event unfold before their very eyes.

4. Get Personal.

The most memorable weddings are those that include personal touches. By incorporating details about the two of you, your families or interests, you take your wedding from cookie cutter to a truly special occasion.

5. Read and Re-read Contracts.

It’s very important that you read the fine print on your contracts with service providers. Vendors are interested in your business so if there are specific things that you need just ask, most are willing to work with you.

6. Have Fun.

While the wedding planning process can be stressful, remember the true meaning of your special day. Don’t let minor setbacks deflate your vision for happily ever after.

Vanessa Wakeman is an Event Producer and principal of INDULGENCE, a wedding and event planning firm. She is also the host of The Wedding Coach cable TV show and Creative Director for Wedding Fantasies the annual upscale bridal event. You can reach her at Vwakeman@indulgenceny.com or call 212-500-5953.

The Top Ten Romantic Restaurants in Orange County, California

2007-01-16T02:50:00.000-08:00

By Carine Nadel

There is no shortage of places to eat in Orange County, California. Romance abounds with the cliffside views of the Pacific Ocean on one half of the county and the hills and valleys on the other half. Depending on your budget and individual preferences there are so many to chose one that I had a very hard time pinning down the ten here. According to the Gayot restaurant guide, OCRegister.com and a personal polling of 20 long-time residents of the area here are the ones that "made the grade" as places to go when you want romance to fill the air (they are in random order):

Starting with the "inland" choices:

Anaheim White House-an institution in Anaheim. Northern Italian cuisine is combined with French touches in an actual white house in very elegant decor.

Orange Hill Restaurant-in the city of Orange. The restaurant has been host to numerous weddings, anniversary celebrations and proposals. The cuisine in American. The restaurant and bar overlook the sweeping valley below. The lights of the cities in the distance are incredible. So high on the romance charts, I even suggested to my sister that this would be the perfect spot for her wedding. The food is excellent, but the guests seem to wander over to the windows to enjoy the view as much as the catered reception.

Golden Truffle-Costa Mesa. While the restaurant doesn't have any views and resides on a major street, what makes this restaurant special is the willingness of the chef and his staff to personally cook up some of the county's most exotic cuisine and serve it in an unintrusive way.

Cedar Creek Inn-San Juan Capistrano. This restaurant is in the old town area, right across the street from the Mission. Again, no view perse but the patio lights and the ease of taking a stroll through the quaint city and shop in the anitque shops is worth it. The cuisine is Californian.

Five Crowns-Corona Del Mar. The main element to this extremely well known eatery is that it is an exact replica of England's oldest inn. The Lawry's owned restaurant serves American dishes, but the waitstaff serves you in period English dress and manners. Obviously, if you chose here, eat the steak ribs.

The Ritz Restaurant and Garden-Newport Beach. Continental cuisine served by a wonderful wait staff that want to make sure that whatever you are celebrating becomes special. Our son sent my husband and I here for our 23rd anniversary. He had taken his girlfriend and was not only impressed by the terrific food, but that the service was quiet, attentive and respectful (some eateries are not so with couples who are 20-somethings).

The remaining restaurants all have sweeping Pacific Ocean views. Except for Las Brisas which serves Mexican fare, the all serve American cuisine.

Las Brisas-Laguna Beach. Best bet, stick with the seafood. This restaurant has been around a long time. While the food may not really be up to the same standards as the rest of the choices listed, the view and usually the service are what keep this place on the "romantic" map.

The Chart House-Dana Point. Many the wedding and reception has taken place here. Even wanted to add our own daughter's to the list. When we want a very romantic evening, this is where my husband and I go. The food is excellent, the staff professional and while you wait (and you will)you can enjoy a stroll in the "backyard" or just sit outside with a glass of wine.

Cannons-Dana Point. Plenty of directions to crane your neck at the view up here. I prefer brunch on a spring or summer Sunday, but of the long-time residents I interviewed, they're sold on this hotspot for a special evening out.

Salt Creek Inn-considered Laguna Niguel. Different and eclectic. Service can be spotty, but the younger crowd I talked to seem to really enjoy eating here.

These were the chosen few, but I would be remiss not to mention if time and budget allow, try eating at any of the venues at the Laguna Beach Montage Hotel. The hotel is romance personified, the grounds are beautiful, the menus varied (alas a little steep for my budget)and sound delicious. Those who had eaten there couldn't stop raving about how delicious every was and how beautifully it was served. One gentleman took his wife of 30 years there to celebrate their anniversary and the staff helped "hide" her pearl necklace in a specialy made dessert!

Now all anyone needs to do is put on the dress up togs and come and visit-during dinner! Oh and reservations are suggested!

Carine Nadel loves trying new and different places. Her writing makes it a possiblity. To read more of her writing log onto: http://www.Carine-whatscooking.blogspot.com or fabulousy40.com

Ulalena-Must See Show On Maui

2007-01-16T02:49:00.000-08:00

By Dave Huffman

Ulalena has many meanings on the island of Maui. Ulalena is a state-of-the-art venue that was built for a phenomenal show idea, but it also has another meaning. Ulalena is said to be a special wind that only occurs in Maui. According to Ancient Hawaiian creation chants, it is also a form of rain that is colored reddish yellow when revealed during the twilight hours. This wind carries people to other times and places through memories and mythical means.

The show, Ulalena, offers some of the best entertainment in Maui. If you see one show that celebrates Hawaiian culture, this should be the show you go see. The venue where the show is performed was built specifically for the show. This allows each seat to have a special sense of intimacy and interaction as the show goes on.

Ulalena takes the traditional Butoh theatre and adds acrobatic moves, hula, and modern dance. Vivid, rich costume design and intense lighting and stage design are all blended together to make the perfect scene for a show based on Hawaiian history and legends. You will have the chance to watch a show so amazing, you cannot help but feel like you are right there in the middle of it all. Critics have said that Ulalena is the best show to come from Hawaii in years. It has been called magical and powerful. What started as a myth has come to the stage in a glowing portrait of Hawaiian beliefs. Ulalena begins with a man on a spiritual quest who is heading for an unknown destination. As he walks, taro, a food staple of Hawaii, appears from the ground, and shows the audience, the beginning of life.

Also discussed or made use of is the ocean, a mythical forest, a village, and much more. Each area seems to progress the story and teach something unique and intimate about Hawaii. The Ocean is used to bring the first immigrants from Tahiti. These immigrants come to the area after following visions of the volcano Goddess, Pele, and the shark God, Kamohali’l. Once this happens, Maui, the demi-god, is able to pull the islands from the ocean. The forest comes next when ali’I dreams of Mo’o. Mo’o is a guardian spirit that takes the form of a lizard and lives in a waterfall. Trees in the rainforest come to life. During this time, the gods reflect upon pleasure and passion. The village is shown with music, as men pound poi from taro root and women beat kapa to show simple Hawaiian life.

The next portion of the Ulalena leads into the Makahiki festival. This harvest festival is to celebrate thanks, sports, and place a taboo on war. However, an explorer from Europe comes along and interrupts the festival at its peak moments. The residents vow to respect the man, thinking he is a God coming from above and turning to human form.

The shadows arrive showing the old world, the new, and the differences that arise once the King has died and the system of the old ways is overthrown. The Hawaiian Monarchy brings people from around the world to work in the sugar cane fields, as sugar becomes an important product. As Ulalena comes near the end, Pele explodes and devastation comes with her. However, this devastation brings contemplation and then a rebuilding of life. Finally, we have Ulalena, a new era of golden people. These people are embraced by the Ulalena, the rain, and they are melded into a life that is close to nature and built of spirit.

Dave Huffman owns and operates rental by owner websites. For great lodging on Maui visit http://www.mauirentalbyowner.com

How To Make An Ipod Battery Last

2007-01-16T02:48:00.000-08:00

By Zachary Scott

The iPod's battery is a fragile little piece of equipment it seems. If you want your iPod's battery to last longer and live longer, here is a couple of tips. Some will probably seem pretty evident. But just because they are, doesn't me they aren't useful.

First of all. It is important to keep the battery at room temperature. Too hot or too cold will brim it's optimum performance, which according to Apple's docs is around 20 degrees Celsius. Wait until the iPod is at this temperature before using it.

There is a great functionality on the iPod that will also help with it's battery. The hold mechanism. Why you ask? Well, when you aren't using your iPod, and have it in your pocket, you might accidentally press the play button or any other, hence starting a tune up and devouring some battery livelihood. So when you aren't using your iPod, put that sucker on hold!

You should also charge your iPod once it is flat. This will ensure a better and longer life for your iPod. Remember that it uses some batteries even in sleep mode, so when you aren't using it, it is possible the battery will go flat. In any case, wait until this happens before charging.

When you don't use your iPod, put it in sleep mode. To do this, press the play button for a couple of seconds, it will look like it is turned off. Also use the pause button as much as possible when listening to music, but need to stop listening for some reason or another. The pause button will evidently stop the useless playing and there for the useless use of batteries.

The backlighting option. I personally don't use the backlighting, unless it is truly necessary like at night. I just flip the option on at that moment. The rest of the time, is is off. Lights use batteries so they will last less time if the backlight option is on. The same thing can apply for the equalizer. I don't use this option, as I am not a professional of sound, I can't even tell the difference with it on or off. It being off, will use much less battery life.

Changing tracks with the previous and next buttons, can also make your battery life shorter. This is because every time the iPod changes tracks, it must open the hard drive, which uses battery life evidently.

All in all, these are the tips I have received and tested that seem to keep my iPod on for much longer. Enjoy and have fun!

I am student. I like new technology I study in computer science. I recently purchased and iPod video and I read there were problems with the battery, so I wrote a guide to prolong your batteries' life.

Did you find those tips on How to make iPod battery useful? You can learn a lot more about how MyIPodDownloads.com can help you with your iPod here.

Soldotna To Host Alaska's First Global Food Trades

2007-01-16T02:32:00.000-08:00

By Michael Russell

Alaska will finally have a chance to show her wares to the world. She can especially show off her exceptional Last Frontier only cuisine. This summer Soldotna, Alaska is the strategically chosen host for the first Alaska food buyers' conference, The Global Food Alaska 2007 Conference and Tradeshow. Everyone even remotely involved in the Alaskan food industry will be there. Even Mom and Pop Operations, of which Alaska has many, will be among those showing off their various food products. Many in the industry have waited for this day.

Alaskans have always known that they have fantastic food. And the tourists that have had a chance to experience and taste the various food products have discovered it too. The problem is that aside from those who dare to venture a visit to Alaska, it still leaves many who live in the lower 48 states with that common misconception that Alaska and Alaska's products are out of their reach. Although nothing could be further from the truth, convincing others of that fact is quite another thing. Some myths, especially Alaskan myths are tough to change.

Granted, for a good many decades the idea of transporting any type of products to and from Alaska was pretty hopeless. The dangerous and often treacherous terrain was enough to keep visitors and freight both away. Even airlines and their pilots gave pause when considering Alaska as a travel destination for a good many years. The post office or at least some form of a postal service or pony express was probably the only savior for those trying to get goods even around Alaska itself much less the lower 48 states or the rest of the world.

Today it's no big deal to get mail in and out of Alaska. Alaska has you might say come out of the Stone Age; at least where mail is concerned. She's made some concessions. There are now U.S. post offices all over the state, which are quite efficient. Alaskans regularly receive mail and packages of all sorts and sizes from all over the world. They are no different in their buying habits from the rest of the world. And big business knows it even if others haven't caught on. Alaska isn't far enough to keep eBay, Amazon and other online businesses from delivering their products.

This summer a lot could change for the Alaska food industry. Usually those in the Alaska food industry are the ones who travel to the various food conferences, fairs and tradeshows around the world. This year those in the Alaska food business can stay home and just get ready for company because in June the world is coming to Alaska. The very first Global Food Alaska 2007 Conference and Tradeshow will be held in the Soldotna Sport Center on June 13th and 14th and will feature various food industry businesses. Meat and fish processors, farmers, gardeners and anyone at all associated with growing, preparing, harvesting, marketing or any other aspect of the food industry will be on hand to give buyers an earful and mouthful of Alaska's best cuisine. The hope is that some fortunate Alaska food businesses will make some new friends and a whole lot of new customers too.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Alaska

Google, YouTube and Copyright

2007-01-15T04:01:00.000-08:00

By Gerard Simington

In a rather stunning move, Google recently purchased the popular video site YouTube The question many are asking is how Google will deal with the potential copyright violations on the site?

To show you how much the Internet has changed in a relatively short amount of time, it is important to look back at the last big public medium that had copyright issues. In this case, we are talking about Napster. As you know, Napster was a system where music could be traded by people for free. This, of course, drove the record labels and artists crazy. If people were trading the music for free, royalties and revenues were not being produced. To quell the uprising, the music industry went after Napster and even individual users, claiming that the copyright for the musical pieces was being violated. As you also know, the record companies won the fight.

Now consider YouTube. From just about any angle, YouTube appears to be the Napster of the online video industry. The obvious difference is that many people will simply upload their own videos and creations to the site. In such circumstances, it's obvious that nobody can complain that there is a copyright violation because people have voluntarily put it up on the site. The problem that arises, however, is when people go ahead and upload videos and other matter from television, DVDs, and so on. Based on the various legal precedents set in the Napster case, it would appear that copyright claims can be made against YouTube.

So, why would Google risk purchasing YouTube? Does it really want to risk being sued to high heaven? Google assures everyone that the copyright problems are no big deal, but its rumored action tell a different story. Depending upon the media you are reading, Google has supposedly set aside between $200 and $500 million dollars to deal with copyright claims. That is an absolute ton of money and represents a certain lack of faith by Google on the copyright issues. So, will Google actually end up paying out most of this money? The chances seem slim. To understand why, we need to find an answer to the question of what makes YouTube different from Napster?

Ironically, the law really has not changed in any noticeable way. The primary thing that is different is us as a society. It goes without saying that the record industry took a beating on the public relations front when it started suing kids in relation to the Napster litigation. The backlash from that process led to a situation where companies began reassessing such heavy handed tactics. In concert with this, online music sites where you could buy individual songs proved a huge success. Throw in the Ipod and the future became clear. For mainstream entertainment groups, the internet was no longer a nasty word.

Instead of trying to beat down companies like YouTube with copyright claims, entertainment groups will seek out mutually profitable solutions. In fact, Google has already announced such deals and you can expect a lot more in the future. Will there still be copyright disputes? Sure, but they should be fairly nominal. The real question is what will happen to the concept of copyright as it is applied to the net. Although hardly a psychic, I think I am hardly out of line in predicting it will change dramatically over the next five to 10 years. In fact, I tend to think the legal concept of copyright may be applied by a more specific set of rules applicable just to the net. For many online sites, this would prove to be a positive move.

Gerard Simington is with FindAnAttorneyForMe.com - an online intellectual property law information and attorney directory.

Write Songs the Music Industry Wants to Hear!

2007-01-15T04:00:00.000-08:00

By Alex Forbes

Sure, "art for art's sake" is cool... but what if you're pursuing a career as a songwriter? This article is full of suggestions for how you can tailor your songs to suit the requirements of music business professionals.

Many of us bemoan the state of commercial music today, but what are you doing to improve things in your own microcosmic corner of the universe? Are you working to create the next wave of great material — songs that have a lifespan of more than a few weeks or months? How can you use your talents to actually make a powerful contribution... and make a living while you're at it?

The first step is to take a good look inside and explore what you as a unique individual have to say, lyrically and musically. What do you think about, believe in, stand for? What makes you tick? These precious truths that bubble up from the soul provide the driving force behind great songwriting. These sparks of inspiration, these "aha! moments," are what listeners crave when they play a song. They're also what People Behind Desks are desparate to find. Do you have the courage to lay bare your personal truth in public? I firmly believe that's what it takes to achieve success with your songs.

The cynical among us will say, "no, you just need the right equipment, a catchy hook and a whole lot of money behind you." Sure, those things help, but if you're trying to break into the business, your song has to simultaneously grab people by the guts, tickle their ears, and slam them over the head like a 2-by-4. Strive to write songs that take risks, tap into the universal via the personal, and motivate people to laugh, cry, feel, dance or take action. Make an effort to innovate, not imitate what's already out there. In other words, write your passion. Songs miraculously translate to listeners the exact emotion you felt while you were writing them. Do your best to work that magic!

Another quality that professionals look for in a song is strong dynamic flow. Skillful use of the many conventions of songwriting can manipulate listeners in the most enjoyable way. Don't be afraid to push those emotional buttons! Here are some ways to go about it:

• Suck listeners in with lyrical, melodic and chordal tension.
• Create a question in their minds: how will this turn out in the end?
• Throw their bodies off balance with chords or melodies that are unexpected or quirky.
• Take a strong point of view that's boldly provocative, unique or intensely felt.
• Paint a vivid picture in the mind's eye.
• Set a palpable mood.
• Construct an entire sonic and/or lyrical environment.

Once you have piqued people's interest, crank up their involvement using all the techniques in your lyrical toolbox, i.e. rhyme, meter, imagery, metaphor, alliteration... you name it. Avoid clichés like the plague, or turn them on their heads somehow. Experiment until you find the melody lines that best show off your lyrics, and vice versa. Salt your song with enough repetition to make it memorable, but not so much that it becomes predictable. Use chord progressions that are fresh, stimulating the ear rather than lulling it into complacency.

When it comes time for the ultimate payoff, your Hook, don't settle! This is your Money Shot, and most music biz pros will hit the "eject" button if they don't hear a strong hook in one listen. One listen! Here are a few ways to enhance your hook:

• Construct your song so that all roads, lyrically and melodically, lead to your hook.
• Remember that famous music business adage: "Don't bore us, get to the chorus."
• More hooks is merrier! Instrumental riffs, backups, rhythmical chord movement, and verse melodies can provide secondary hooks.
• Fear not repetition (up to a point, of course).
• Throw in memorable "monkey wrench" words that stand out.
• Make sure the world can sing along.
• Play with the language: use slang, twists of phrase, even invent a new word!

Finally, People Behind Desks really appreciate it if you know your marketplace. Don't submit a country ballad when their artist is a heavy metal guitar-shredder. And if you're the performer, have at least 3 crowd-pleasing, radio-ready songs in hand before you shop a deal. Make a detailed study of the hits in your chosen genres, and incorporate those lessons into your work. The Internet has made it incredibly easy to educate yourself about what's selling these days, so there's no excuse for ignorance.

Look at the world for a moment from the perspective of a music industry pro: They'll respond positively if they think your song will save their job. By bringing them dynamic, single-worthy, heartfelt material you'll be well on your way to doing just that, and creating a career for yourself as well.

Happy songwriting!

Award-winning hit songwriter Alex Forbes has seen over 65 of her songs released, many of them landing on the Billboard charts, on TV and in feature films. Her hits in the U.S. include “Don’t Rush Me,” (Taylor Dayne), “Too Turned On,” (Alisha) and “Nothin’ My Love Can’t Fix.” Her song, “You Are Water” is featured on the hit Classical/Pop album by Hayley Westenra. Alex has taught songwriting since 1990 and has appeared on many music industry panels. She offers one-on-one coaching, song critiques and interactive teleclasses for up-and-coming songwriters on her site, http://www.CreativeSongwriter.com.

Anti-Cancer: Spice and Everything Nice

2007-01-15T03:58:00.000-08:00

By Hendrick Wilbur

Renowned surgeon *Mehmet Oz*, MD had quite a number of appearances on The Oprah Winfrey show. In one particular episode, he presented actual healthy and damaged human organs to show what happens to the body when we continuously eat the wrong kind of food, smoke a pack of cigarettes deliriously, and drink liquor like there is no tomorrow. The results were diabolically life-altering. Hundreds of viewers testified that after watching Dr Oz briefly go from one organ to another, they shuddered in their seats and couldn't believe that those organs could as well be theirs. You could also check out the Discovery Health Channel hit, Second Opinion, and read his bestseller, You: The Owner's Manual. Whether he is on television or speaks through the pages of his books, he advocates a healthy and practical change in everyone. His medical methods and layman approach to disease, specifically cancer and cardiovascular ailments, have challenged people from all over the world to finally take the reins and be the boss of their own body. And the simplest way to gain control is to be mindful of what we eat and drink.

Nowadays, medical professionals are more focused on cancer prevention with the objective to fight the disease even before it starts. More and more people are diverting their attention to the importance of daily nutrition and the choices that they are making with regard to their lifestyle, such as quitting smoking and drinking alcohol in moderation. Most of these studies claim that the use of natural substances can actually help prevent the disease.

One of the most highly advertised anti-carcinogenic substances is lycopene, a member of the carotenoid family which includes beta-carotene and other compounds found naturally in food. It is commonly known as the pigment that gives tomatoes their red color. What some people don't know is that it is also a free radical-fighting antioxidant responsible for warding off damaging matter that disrupts normal cells and cause disease. It has also been proven to boost the immune system. It is shown to be better consumed when the tomatoes are cooked and mixed with a little healthy fat. For the sake of convenience, lycopene has also been made into a dietary supplement. However, studies show that taking it other than its natural form is not as effective as eating real tomatoes because it works better together with other phytochemicals found in the vegetable but not necessarily present in the pill. The combination of these bioactive compounds may be needed to provide optimum protection from cancer. This encourages people to eat tomatoes from pasta sauces, pastes, and freshly squeezed juices.

Capsaicin, the stuff found in chilly peppers that make them hot, could be the next line of defense in modern cancer prevention. Studies show that daily consumption of hot peppers may actually fight off some kinds of cancer. In certain parts of the world, cases of intestinal, stomach, and colon cancer are considerably low compared to the United States. Experts believe that the low cancer rate in South America, for instance, may be tied to their frequent intake of japaleno peppers and hot cayenne, both of which contain capsaicin.

The latest trend in cancer prevention mentions the health benefits of flavonoids. One can find a vast array of flavonoids in a diet composed of various fruits, vegetables, and spices. Flavonoids from citrus fruits such as oranges are said to have antioxidant polyphenols that contain anti-cancer elements. A number of studies also show that red wine and green tea drinkers have a low risk of esophageal, lung, and stomach cancers. Another good source of flavonoids is dark chocolate. Medical experts say that cocoa has a much greater amount of antioxidants compared to red wine and green tea and dark chocolate contains a lot more cocoa than other kinds of chocolate. The production of chocolate sometimes disrupts 50% of the flavonoids but manufacturing companies are now learning to make chocolate to retain as much of the good stuff as possible. While dark chocolate has its health benefits, consuming more than enough (around 1 oz a day) can also be dangerous. It may be packed with flavonoids that fight cancer but it still contains a significant amount of calories. Always remember that a balanced diet and a healthy exercise regimen are still the key to good health.

For more valuable information on Cancer, Heart Health, please visit http://www.healthsnippets.com.

The Top 10 Culprits Causing Malware Infections

2007-01-15T03:57:00.000-08:00

By Coenraad De Beer

I think it is safe to assume that the places you visit on the Internet will determine which programs are installed on your PC. Let me put it this way, the software installed on your computer will have some relevance to the sites you often visit. Lets take a few examples, when you are using Gmail, chances are good that you will have Gmail Notifier or GoogleTalk installed on your PC. When you often visit Yahoo.com or take part in their social networks, chances are good that you will have Yahoo! Toolbar or Yahoo! Messenger installed on your PC. Lets take a more practical example, users visiting Microsoft.com most probably have packages like Microsoft Office and Microsoft Windows XP installed on their computers. It is likely for supporters of the Open Source Initiative to hang out on sites like OpenSource.org, OpenOffice.com, Linux.org or SpreadFirefox.com. So your software preferences play a huge role in the type of web sites you visit and vice versa.

But what has this to do with malware infections? To be honest, everything! Let me show you what the top culprits of malware infections are and it will soon be clear to you what the connection is between the web sites you visit and the malware found on your PC.

Top culprit number 1: Pornographic web sites
Download Spyware Blaster by JavaCool Software and have a look at all the porn related web sites blocked by this program. It is also remarkable to see how many computers with traces of pornographic web sites in their browser history, are often infected with spyware and trojan horses. Unfortunately you will have innocent victims of malware infections, also with traces of pornographic web sites in their browser history, but only because the malware redirected them to these sites. However, people with pornographic material on their computers are not that innocent in this case, pornography does not go out looking for people, people go out looking for pornography.

Top culprit number 2: Illegal music (MP3) and movie downloading sites
These sites normally force you to install special downloading software on your computer so that you can download files from them. These download managers are often bundled with spyware and are trojan horses themselves, downloading tons of other spyware programs while you cheerfully download your illegal MP3’s. They sometimes place tracking cookies on your PC to monitor your browsing habits and hijack your browser to make sure you return to their site or a site of a partner.

Top culprit number 3: Software Piracy web sites
If you love using illegal software, cracks, serial numbers or license key generators (keygens) then you most probably had to remove some malware infections in the past after visiting one of these sites. Most of the people using these cracks are normally technical wizards and know how to disinfect their computers. Many of these sites do not only contain harmful scripts but also fake cracks and key generators, which are nothing else but malware. Some crack developers create a working crack but distribute it with spyware or a trojan horse to make your PC their slave.

Top culprit number 4: Peer-to-peer file sharing programs and networks
The file sharing community is loaded with pornography, pirated software, music and movies. Is it not amazing that everywhere these guys make their appearance you also find spyware, viruses, trojan horses and all kinds of malware? The client software is also often bundled with spyware (or adware as they call it).

The culprits discussed so far are those connected with illegal and indecent activities. People visiting these sites and using these services deserve getting infected with malware. These culprits are also some of the biggest sources of malware epidemics. What flows from the mouth, comes from within the heart. The same rule applies to your computer, those nasty little programs crawling inside your computer is, in the case of culprits 1 to 4, the direct result of your own sinful actions and activities.

The next couple of culprits are caused by negligence and a lack of knowledge about how malware are distributed.

Top culprit number 5: Pop-up and pop-under advertisements
Another culprit that wants to caught you off guard. A pop-up window may appear out of the blue or a concealed pop-under window my load in the background without you even knowing it. These windows can start downloading malicious programs and install them on your computer. They can appear on any web site, not just illegal and other bad web sites. You can prevent these windows from opening by using a secure browser like Firefox with a built-in pop-up blocker.

Top culprit number 6: Fake anti-virus and anti-spyware tools
You visit a legitimate looking web site and suddenly a banner appears telling you that your computer is infected with spyware. You can scan your computer with all the anti-spyware software in the world, over and over again until you are blue in the face, but that banner will keep telling you that your computer is infected with spyware. This is because it is a plain image banner. The site never does a scan of your computer, it is a fixed message that will display on any computer, no matter how clean it is. Simply put, it is a blatant lie! They want you to believe that your computer is infected and that only their software can remove this spyware. If you download and install their software you will only find that it is spyware itself. You may end up infecting a completely clean system with a dirty program, trying to remove the so-called spyware.

A system scan is not a three second process, it takes time, so no scanner can tell you instantaneously that your system is infected with spyware. I do not believe in online scanners, rather use software with a good reputation, a local scan is much more faster. Most online scanners are no online scanners at all, you actually download the whole scanning engine and end up doing a local scan anyway. A real scanner will tell you the name of the malware and its location on your hard drive, if it does not give you this information, then it is fake. Even if it gives you this information, it still does not mean that the software is legitimate. Do not trust everything you see online and stick to well known anti-malware brands.

Top culprit number 7: Free games, screen savers, media players, etc.
No, not every free program comes bundled with spyware, but spyware (once again the developers prefer to call it adware, but it is still the same thing) is often the price you have to pay for the free software. It is normally a ploy to monitor your use of the program, to send the creators statistical data or to collect data about your online behaviour in order to send you targeted ads. If you try to remove the spyware you normally render the main application useless. Read the EULA (End User Licence Agreement) very carefully before installing the application. But everyone knows that nobody reads those tedious, long licence agreements, so use EULAlyzer by JavaCool Software to check for specific keywords and phrases that might reveal any spyware programs being installed or privacy breaching practices that may occur if you install the free software.

Top culprit number 8: Malicious web pages with harmful scripts
But you already mentioned this one in culprits 1 to 3. No, culprits 1 to 3 often have harmless web sites and it is the content you download from the sites that is harmful. But you also get web pages containing malicious scripts, totally innocent looking web sites, like a site donating money for cancer. You go to their homepage and suddenly a script virus strikes your computer. This is what an anti-virus shield was made for, that unexpected attack. Firefox is also designed to prevent harmful scripts and browser hijackers from accessing the system and taking advantage of flaws and weak spots in your operating system.

Top culprit number 9: E-mail
Virus worms spread themselves by forwarding a copy of the virus to all the contacts in your address book. Those contacts that are unaware of these worms will most likely open the e-mail and the file attached to it. But when you open a strange infected e-mail from an unknown sender, then you are guilty of double negligence. For the virus to be activated you need to open the e-mail and in most cases you need to deliberately open the file attachment too. By using a little common sense you will know that strange e-mails from unknown senders are dangerous, especially when they have executable attachments with file names ending with the “exe”, “com”, “bat” or “scr” extensions. Even dangerous e-mails from known, trustworthy contacts can easily be identified if the contents of the e-mail seems strange and out of character. By being careful and responsible when opening your e-mails, you will not only prevent your own computer from getting infected, but you will also prevent the worm from spreading any further.

Top culprit number 10: You the Internet user
What? Me? How on earth can I be a culprit? Well, you are an accomplice in the spread of malware if you do not have an active and updated anti-virus package installed on your computer, if you do not scan your computer for viruses and spyware on a regular basis, if you do not use shields like the TeaTimer tool from SpyBot (which is free by the way), the Ad-Watch shield of Ad-Aware or the resident shield of AVG Anti-spyware (all of which you have to pay for, unfortunately), if you spend your time browsing pornographic and illegal web sites and take part in the sharing of pirated software and copyrighted material (culprits 1 to 4), if you fail to be responsible with the software you install on your PC and the e-mails you open (culprits 6, 7 and 9) and if you refuse to use a secure web browser (like Firefox) built to prevent malware infections (culprits 5 and 8). Yes, I will go so far to say, that if you stay away from culprits 1 to 7 and 9, you probably won’t need any virus and spyware protection at all. Culprit 8 is the only reason why you should have anti-virus and anti-spyware protection, for those unexpected attacks, over which you have no control.

Culprits 1 to 8 are the main sources of malware. Infections caused by them led to the creation of culprits 9 and 10, which distribute the malware even further. Do not turn your computer into a malware paradise or a malware distribution centre. Take responsibility, protect your computer against these threats and prevent the spread of malware.

About the Author
Coenraad is webmaster and founder of Cyber Top Cops, leaders in Internet security, prevention of online fraud and educating users against online scams and malicious software. Visit our Malicious Software Removal Assistance page for advice and personal assistance with the removal of stubborn and unknown malware infections.

Best of the Best Italian Cream Cake

2007-01-14T01:12:00.000-08:00

By Cristie Will

Ingredients:

1-cup Buttermilk,
1-teaspoon Baking Soda,
5-large Eggs, separated,
2-cups Sugar,
1-stick Butter, soft,
½-cup Shortening,
1-teaspoon Vanilla,
1-cup Pecans, chopped,
1-can Coconut, shredded,
2-cups Flour.

Instructions:

Cream shortening, butter, sugar and egg yolks in a large bowl; add flour and buttermilk; mix well; add coconut, pecans, vanilla and beat well. Beat egg whites in a separate bowl until stiff and fold them into cake mixture. Bake at 325° for 30 to 35 minutes in 3 layered pans. Let cool before frosting.

Frosting:

4-tablespoons butter 1-teaspoon vanilla,
8-ounces cream cheese 1-box powdered sugar,
1-cup Walnuts, chopped.

Mix and spread frosting on layers. Place 1/3 cup of chopped walnuts on first layer of icing, add 1/3-cup of chopped walnuts to 2nd layer of icing. Finish spreading frosting on top and sides of cake and finally place 1/3-cup of chopped walnuts on top.

Serves 8 to 10

Note: This cake can be made into a one layer cake by baking it in a 9x13-inch baking dish, but it is not near as good. Another fun and great idea is to add three to six drops of food coloring, depending on how vibrant you want the color to be. I add the food coloring sometimes to the cake and icing and sometimes just to either the cake or the icing. I choose my colors by the holidays, for example I choose red or green for Christmas.

This recipe is in "What's Cooking?" cookbook.

You can find this recipe and many more just like this one at http://www.cristiescookin.com

Cooking lessons for Cristie began at 8 years old with the best teacher in the world -- her Mom! Later, she cooked for the restaurant the family owned, and her love of the "trade" has grown ever since. Cristie's creative cooking has continued for over 40 years. Her creations can soon be on your kitchen table. Check out Cristie's books at http://www.cristiescookin.com and http://www.tjstokes.com

The Best Carrot Cake Recipe on Earth

2007-01-14T01:10:00.000-08:00

By Britt Gillette

Growing up, friends and family always raved about my mom's delicious carrot cake. As a child, the idea of eating a cake made from carrots seemed a little odd, but once I got past the initial apprehension, I too found her carrot cake to be one of my favorite desserts.

Below is the exact recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Mom's Delicious Carrot Cake Recipe

Ingredients:

(Cake)
2.0 Cups of Sugar
1.5 Cups of Vegetable Oil
2.5 Cups of Self-Rising Flour
3.0 Cups of Grated Carrots
4 Eggs
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
1 Teaspoon of Baking Soda
2 Teaspoons of Cinnamon

(Icing)
8 Ounces of Original Kraft Philadelphia Cream Cheese
1 Stick of Margarine
1 Box of Powdered Sugar
1 Teaspoon of Vanilla
1 Cup of Chopped Peacans

Instructions:

Mix the sugar and vegetable oil in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla, along with self-rising flour and cinnamon. Using a Kitched Aid or other mixing device, add the baking soda and carrots and mix until the batter is uniform. Pour batter into 3 round cake pans (makes 3 layers). Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Once done, put on racks to cool.

To create the icing, combine the cream cheese, margarine, powdered sugar, and vanilla, and mix until consistent. Add the chopped peacans and stir. Apply the icing in between layers and on the top and sides of the cake once the layers have cooled.

Finally, enjoy one of the finest tasting desserts ever created!

About the Author

Britt Gillette is the author of 'The Dittohead's Guide to Adult Beverages' (Regnery 2005). He also educates people on the many benefits of Himalayan Goji Juice.