Are You Missing Out Without Online Marketing?

If you are not already marketing your business online, it is time to start. Although there are a few exceptions, just about every business can benefit from online marketing. There are just so many advantages to this type of marketing. First of all, it is extremely affordable to market your business online. Other advantages to marketing your business online include the ability to reach a large target audience, the ability to reach potential customers all over the world and the ability to customize the marketing for different sectors of the target audience.

The affordability of Internet marketing is one of many reasons why many business owners are turning to the Internet for advertising. Advertising online is incredibly affordable especially when you consider how many potential customers a business owner can reach with an online marketing campaign. Most methods of online advertising are quite affordable and some of them do not have any direct costs. For example, you may choose to market your business online by participating in industry forums and posting links to your website whenever it is appropriate to do so. In this case the cost of creating and maintaining the website is insignificant in comparison to the number of potential clients you could reach through online marketing. Additionally, the costs associated with posting links to your website are incidental. You could consider the cost of having access to the Internet as part of the cost but you most likely require Internet access for other reasons as well so it is completely worthwhile.

Reaching a large target audience is another very worthwhile reason for marketing your business online. You may have spent a great deal of time and energy doing market research and determine who your target audience is. You may have also spent a great deal of time trying to figure out the best way to reach this audience. This is a very sound marketing principle but as it applies to marketing on local television, radio and print media it only allows you to reach a limited audience. However, when you take your marketing to the Internet you automatically drastically increase your potential target audience because you now have the ability to reach members of your target audience around the world.

This ability to reach customers around the world is another major advantage to marketing your business online. Regardless of where you live and operate your business, you have the ability to reach those who have an interest in the products you sell or the services you provide no matter where they live. This makes it possible for you to do business with customers around the world.

Likewise the fact that the Internet is available 24 hours a day is also very beneficial to those who choose to market their products or services online. Shopping for products and services in person can be very difficult especially for individuals who work long hours or those who work unusual hours. These working conditions make it difficult for these individuals to do business and make purchases of products and services they need during regular business hours. However, business owners who have an online presence are much more convenient because unlike stores and calling centers, the website never closes. This convenience gives potential customers the ability to view products and services, compare these products and service to the ones offered by competitors and make a purchase at any hour of any day.

If you are a business owner who is reading this article and you do not already have a strong online presence, you need to immediately start learning more about the world of Internet marketing. This is so important because if your competitors are marketing online, you may find they are gaining a steady advantage and are becoming more appealing to potential customers. Before too many of your potential customers become loyal customers of the competition it is time to start figuring out how you can market your business online and keep up with the competition.

Upgrading a Notebook

Desktops have been long known to be upgrade-able in terms of memory and hard drive space but little is known about upgrading notebooks.

The first thing to consider is the notebook itself. It must have expansion slots for extra sticks of RAM if you wish to upgrade memory. This can also be done by replacing the current stick of RAM but this method is not cost effective.

To upgrade a notebook the bottom cover must be removed. When doing this any warranty the notebook has will become void so if you choose to upgrade your notebook, you must be prepared to forfeit the warranty.

Upgrading RAM on a notebook is no different to upgrading RAM on a desktop. If your notebook has additional RAM slots you simply need to purchase some more RAM and install it in the empty slots. If your notebook doesn't have expansion slots you will need to replace the existing stick of RAM. If you had a 256mb stick of RAM, you would replace it with a 1GB or 512mb stick.

Replacing the hard drive is a lot easier but complicated at the same time. Replacing the actual drive is quite simple. You simply disconnect the existing drive and replace with the new one. The complicated part is recovering all your drivers and so forth from the drive. Without your drivers the hardware in your notebook will not function correctly. It is important to make sure you have all the original driver CD's that came with the notebook.

In the case of data files you have on your notebook, you can simply back up to DVD's and CD's, but if you do not have a burner, you can simply buy an external case for a notebook drive and use that to store your files.

Upgrading a notebook, although not as easy as with a desktop, can still be done.

Funny bones: Comedy podcasts on the net

Podcasts are enjoying a growing popularity all over the world. Its unique delivery system (podcast files in MP3 format being downloaded into computers automatically upon subscription) and the fact that you can bring it and listen to it anywhere through portable music players is contributing to its continually increasing subscriber base. Of course, the fact that it is all free is a big attraction for anyone, and add to that the relatively easy way of availing this great new application. All one needs is an internet connection and a computer – the portable player itself is an optional accessory and not needed to really enjoy listening podcasts.

There are so many available podcasts on the internet catering to so many genres. In fact, the available genres offered by podcasts are so much diverse than what is offered in regular radio programming. One of the most popular podcast genres though are so-called comedy podcasts. These types of podcasts consistently rate at the very top of any podcast countdown on the internet. This attests to its massive popularity.

There could be many reasons why comedy podcasts seem to have captured the attention and following of so many computer users and podcast fans all over the world. The light hearted nature of the podcasts as well as the silly subjects that are discussed are just perfect for the medium. There are also comedy podcasts that take the usual interview format with celebrities and gives it's a hilarious spin. Imagine having a very stressful day at work, or you are stuck in rush hour traffic and the wait is driving you crazy. Nothing could alleviate those negative feelings more than hearing hilarious banter or commentaries on your portable music player. The comedy could distract you from the stress or from the boredom. Comedy podcasts are also a good genre to mix with the music in your portable player. After listening to your favorite albums you can kick back and just let your hair down with those zany comedy podcasts.

There are so many different comedy podcasts to choose from that one would be hard pressed to just pick one. Below are some of the most popular comedy podcasts available on the internet:

The Ricky Gervais podcast – The funny star of the British sitcom The Office has began making podcasts. Gervais is as funny as ever. This is British comedy at its best.

The President's Weekly Radio Address – This is the official parody of the US president's weekly radio address. Pres. Bush's weekly address is lampooned every week by these witty writers

Gay Fun Show – called the "Love Boat" of podcasts, hear political comedy given an unmistakable gay twist by its two hosts. These guys also interview different celebrities with their gay aplomb.

Comedy 365 – another outstanding British-based comedy podcast. This is one of the most popular Brit-comedy podcasts on the net and is worth checking out.

Infected by Martin Sargent – TechTV host Martin Sargent brings his zany and hilarious wit in his tour of the most cutting edge, most humourous, and weirdest content on the internet.

Is Your PPC Or Adwords Campaign Crashing On The Landing Page?

What is a good landing page? The crucial half of a PPC campaign most people don't know about.

Google Adwords, Yahoo (formerly called Overture Sponsored listings) and other Pay Per Click (PPC) companies give you the chance to get your ad or search listing at the top of the pack, right up front and perfectly matched to the searcher's query. With a clever and catchy, attention grabbing ad or headline you can win the viewer in that critical split second he has to decide to click.

He clicks, you score! Right? WRONG! If you can get that click on a focused, targeted keyphrase and ad headline, you should feel very good. You're halfway there. But, where does he land? On your home page? On the specific product page if you have an online store?

The page where the viewer lands is called a "landing page" or "destination page." It is equally as important as your ad headline and copy, if not more. Most sales, conversions, or leads that cost hard cash to Adwords or Yahoo are often lost because of poor, or non existent landing pages.

Why can't I just send my adword clicks to my Home page?

You can. But what if you walked into a five-story department store with no sales people-- You're looking for a very specific sweatshirt with a Penn State Logo that you saw at a football game. You know the sports shop out in the mall will have it, but you've got a store credit card so you'd like to get it here. You're also holding onto two toddlers who are losing their cuteness very quickly because they want the Happy Meals you promised on the way home.

So there you are in an endless sea of perfume counters. You want a sweatshirt. Maybe it's in the men's section...but where is that? Or maybe it's in Active wear... would that be with the men's stuff? And where are the escalators?!

"Forget it," you think, and walk out to the sports shop in the mall, buy your sweatshirt and are on your way to Micky D's in less than 10 minutes.

Your homepage is the department store. It doesn't matter if you're selling a product, service, or giving away free information. You have sections and categories which are probably very well marked and labeled.

However, your Google Ad or Sponsored listing was specific. It advertised a precise thing in about 70 characters or less. People don't care about your home page. They expect to see what they were searching for as soon as they click. Don't you?

So let's say your ads lead to specific destination pages of your site. What's on those pages?


Destination Page Overview

For Pay Per Click, your destination pages are absolutely critical. They are the second half of the sales pitch. Just having the adword or PPC land on the product page is not enough. First, you have to get someone to your site.

Remember the number of hits you get on a PPC or Google Adword is an ever-increasing expense if you don't turn that click into a sale and the only sales person you have is the page at the end of that click.

You've got to convince someone quickly, "at a glance quickly," why they should buy from you and not the ad above or below you. Think of your own web searches. You have seconds to entice that viewer to read more, or lose them.

Build the page around a SINGLE goal incorporating:

• Well written content describing in clear detail what you are offering

• Organization to make a fast read or "scan" of the page convey as much information to the viewer as possible. Use bullet points and straightforward language to make reading as easy as possible

• Show the benefits to the potential customer. Details that the viewer can relate to on a personal, even emotional level are what makes this page have a much better chance of getting a lead, conversion or sale. It must show all the properties that make you better than the rest. Don't be arrogant, but make the reader feel they will be secure, better and confident if they buy, fill out a form, or perform the action you're after.

• KISS- "Keep it simple, stupid" applies here too. If you don't need a country and a phone number in your form, keep them off. Make it easy and simple for your viewer.

Remember, when you land on a page, you ask "WHAT'S IN IT FOR ME?"


Destination Page Construct

• The first step is to provide the viewer with what he's looking for immediately. Next, show him the features of the product.

• Most importantly, what is the benefit to the potential customer? Why should he buy from you? What will he gain by buying from you?

• If you're selling a product that is very similar to other competing products, you need to focus your sales message on what makes your product unique. What are the unique benefits for your customer?

• Anything that can steal focus from your objective risks losing a conversion. This includes other products, details not related to the main idea, and even the navigation system you use throughout your site. Don't give the viewer the option to go anywhere else but to a form, buy button or call to action.

• Each destination page should have a single, obvious goal that gently tells the customer what to do. Don't try to cross sell or sign up for a newsletter and send an e-card. Stick to one goal.

• Some people might be looking for the specific product and buy from you. But for those that are questioning and/or first time buyers, don't give them a chance to question your credibility.

•The phone number and email address should appear (not obnoxiously)enough times that they're always visible when the page is scrolled. It's a proven fact, if someone has to search for how to contact you, you lose some potentials.


Destination Pages and the Unique Selling Proposition

A concept developed in 1961 still holds merit today and is a great check for the underlying tone of your landing page. That is the "Unique Selling Proposition" by Rosser Reeves. The concept explains how every company should strive to show how it differs and surpasses its competition.

It consists of three concepts that should be applied to your advertisement (or adword) and your destination page.

1. Tell the consumer what benefits you will be giving him. ? "Buy this product, and you will get this specific benefit."

2. The benefits have to be unique to your product. Something that separates you from what the competition has to offer. If your products are sold by competitors too, find something that distinguishes YOUR company.

3. The proposition must be so strong and convincing that it can move the millions (attract new customers).


To be successful, you'll need to research and build a campaign, then watch and modify, test and retest different changes, words, prices, etc. I want to stress the importance of this.

The same testing, observing, tracking and revising apply to landing pages as they do to ads and headlines themselves. It can save you a lot of money. If you're not careful you can run up thousands of dollars in PPC and adwords with insignificant sales or leads.

Aretha Franklin - The Story Of The Queen Of Soul

No matter who you are or where you've been, chances are that you've heard one or more of Aretha Franklin's songs. Chances are also that you've had one of those classics ringing pleasurably in your head for hours on end. The Queen of Soul has that effect on people everywhere, and she's heading out on the road again this summer to provide millions of her fans with another reason to cherish her work.

Life Story

Franklin was born in Memphis on March 25, 1942. After a bit of moving around, her family settled in Detroit when Aretha was seven. She was exposed to music at an early age, and began singing in her father's church. She was soon a very popular member of the choir, and she produced her first recording at the age of 14.

Subsequent to this first recording, Franklin entered "adulthood" almost immediately. She signed a recording contract with Columbia Records and became a mother when she was 15, having her first son, Clarence, Jr. Franklin had another son, Eddie, when she was 16.

At this point, Franklin had to make a choice - be a full-time mother or pursue her music career. She chose the latter, as her grandmother helped her care for her sons while she continued to record songs. Franklin married Ted White in 1962 and had another son, "Teddy" White, Jr. in 1969.

She stayed with Columbia Records until 1967, when she moved to Atlantic Records, and the results were almost immediate due to the expanded artistic freedom she had with her new label. Franklin dabbled in gospel, soul and blues themes with her music, and several of her songs from this time period became top hits.

Blossoming Career

However, it was her R&B work that earned her the nickname, "The Queen of Soul" in the 1960's. Franklin's work with Atlantic Records made her an international star, and several of her most famous songs, including Respect were released during this period.

Franklin continued to not only tour but to record, and her career totals are astonishing. She has released a total of 52 albums, and has had 17 singles reach the Top Ten of the US Hot 100 Singles chart.

Franklin has also won 17 Grammy Awards in several categories, but that is far from her only entry into her list of accomplishments. Franklin became the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987, and was the second woman to gain entry into the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2005.

The Queen of Soul has also been recognized by more than one President of the United States. In 1999, President Bill Clinton awarded Franklin with the National Medal of Arts, and President George W. Bush bestowed upon Franklin the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2005.

What It All Means

All of these accomplishments should make it clear that Aretha Franklin is a national icon. She has appeared in movies like The Blues Brothers in 1980 and sang the national anthem in her adopted hometown of Detroit prior to Super Bowl XL.

Her songs are timeless, and the memories from her live shows live on in the minds of all who are lucky enough to be able to attend a concert. Franklin will be providing those same memories this summer.

Will War in the Middle East Eventually Begin the Battle of Armageddon?

Will history eventually disintegrate into a global holocaust of devastating chaos like many religious people say? Is the present situation in the Middle East that religious folks say are pointing at to give their claims weight? They are insisting that these events have been arranged specifically to forecast the day that Christ will rise up and walk the earth again at judgment. What makes this claim different then what they have asserted repeatedly in the passed?

It all goes back to what the Bible says about Armageddon. Armageddon is mentioned in the New Testament once, and that is in Revelation 16:16. The phrase ''Armageddon'' is often used metaphorically. This is in keeping with fictional stories that focuses on apocalyptic themes of the world ending. However, Revelation 16:16 is covered with allusions concerning the Old Testament. This is because the New Testament is largely rooted in the ideas and descriptions of Hebrew sacred writings.

Yet, writers have rewritten, tailored, and combined thought instead of quoting directly from the Old Testament. Why? It was necessary for writers to do this because they wanted to relate to an environment which would enable them to address themselves as they existed at that time. In taking liberally from the Old Testament imagery they were able to place a New Testament, first century relevance, viewpoint on them.

Many Asia Minor Christians are familiar with the Old Testament, but those of us who are not some explanations are in order. The word Armageddon comes from the word ''Harmageddon'' which means mountain or hill of Megiddo. Megiddo was a hill where many gory conflicts took place. A lot of Jewish scholars and interested persons of Hebrew history may know that the Megiddo and its surrounding area was a well-known field of war where quite a few unsuccessful military battles occurred. On this famous hill, Deborah and Barak defeated the Cannaanites, this is mentioned in Judges 5:19. Then there was Judges 7, where Gideon defeated the Midianites. Although, these battles are seen as accomplishments there are less positive images that center around Megiddo that have imprinted themselves on Israelite consciousness. An example, is in 2 Kings 9:27 where Ahaziah died on Megiddo after being pierced by Jehu's arrow, and in 2 Kings 23:29 where tragically good King Josiah was brought down at the hands of Pharaoh Necho. King Josiah death brought on an upsurge of communal grief by his fellow Jews that was recorded in Zechariah 12:11.

Megiddo, due to its far reaching past, has occupied a revered place in the minds of true believers. Megiddo holds a place of such importance in the minds of first century Jews and Christians. Consequently, near the end of the first century, ill-treated Christians of Asia Minor and their desire to overcome and endure painful persecutions was shown in the course of the battle being waged between Satan in the form of Imperial Rome and the power of God, the Messiah and the saints. In an earlier period, Christians needed hope of victory over their enemies. During our day and age Christians for the same thing but it won't be fulfilled in an end time battle of Armageddon but rather a spiritual battle. Encouragement was what Christians needed to remain sound in their faith, even while they were being battered by their fellow human beings.

Harmageddon in the book of Revelation added to their assurance as a reminder which symbolized victory. The book of Revelation being the message communicated that God will win. The assurance that they were looking for "must shortly come to pass," not two thousand years later. Revelation 1:1. Rest assured, there will be no ''Armageddon'' because the phrase is simply symbolic, and has no connection to the fantasy of a future world war.

Who Killed Heath Ledger?

The first time I saw Heath Ledger, it was by accident. My date and later to-be husband, Nick, took me to see 'The Sixth Sense', finally succumbing to peer pressure to guess 'the big surprise ending. By now, 'The Sixth Sense' was off the major theater chain circuit and only screening in small suburban independent theaters, which led us to experience one of those now rare events: a double-feature matinee. The first movie was '10 Things I Hate About You'.

Well passed 'teen movies, even those with Shakespearian-based scripts, we shyly admitted to liking 10 Things. Wow, I really like the male lead, what was his name? "He's Australian, you know", replied Nick. And in typical Aussie-fashion, I was doubly impressed and now stupidly filled with national pride. Another brilliant Australian up-and-comer to join the rapidly increasing queue to grace Hollywood screens.

Years later, I would often grab the DVD to fill a cheerless afternoon and find myself watching and rewinding the same scene. Over and over and over again. My secret guilty pleasure. Heath sliding down the pole, microphone in hand, singing "You're just too good to be true, can't take my eyes off of you …" The brass band kicks in. And that charmingly defiant half-run, half-prancing across the school steps. The scene is brilliant. It's inexplicable. He simply has that old-fashioned 'it' factor.

I'm not a star-struck fan and was never one of those teenagers with movie-star idol posters plastered all over my bedroom walls, but this kids got talent.

And then came those scene-stealing roles that totally blew us away. The Patriot. Monsters Ball. And finally leading-man status and an Academy Award nomination. By now, we were just used to having another famous Australian up there with the rest of the world's great talent churning out an endless array of diverse, yet illustrious film roles.

We had no idea. It was not endless. It was not what we expected.

When people who I've never met but greatly admire die, I'm sad. But I've never cried before. I have never before felt that heart wrenching overwhelming shock that lasted for days after I heard the news. This time it was somehow more personal. As soon as I read the detailed list of the first report of his deathbed scene, I intuitively knew how he died.
Ten days later the final medical examiners report confirmed my suspicions.

Hollywood is 'Xanax-city. Feeling down, pop a Xanax. Feeling stressed, pop a Xanax. Need to perform at your very best, pop a Xanax. A-list stars feel the pressure to provide A-grade performances when working on multi-million dollar films. There's too much money at stake. The intense stress, both internal and external, is immeasurable. The studios are risking billions, paying the stars millions, and the actors are unnaturally subjected to more pressure than we mere mortals can imagine.

Heath Ledger, himself, admitted that after the worldwide release of A Knights Tale with its instant paparazzi-bulb-flashing stardom, his stress levels increased ten-fold.

Xanax is the trade name of the generic anti-anxiety/tranquillizer prescription drug, alprazolam, listed in Ledgers toxicity report. The other anti-anxiety drug was diazepam, or more commonly known as Valium. These drugs are from a class of commonly prescribed tranquilizers known as benzodiazepines or simply referred to as benzos.

According to the latest National Health Study, approximately 10 million scripts of benzos are written annually in Australia alone with its meagre population of 20 million compared to 300 million in the US.

Many doctors will write a script for benzos faster than a speeding bullet. But the real danger is that too many of them do not know the long-term effects these drugs have on your system, how to give their patients the correct advice when administering or monitoring the dosages, and – more frighteningly - how to manage their patients benzo withdrawal program.
Firstly, this is how benzos affect your body – or more importantly – your brain. Benzodiazepines increase, or rather, enhance your brains main neurotransmitter, commonly known as GABA. Eventually, and this can be as quickly as 3 to 4 weeks if taking a daily dose, your brain will stop producing its own GABA and rely totally on the artificial benzo.

GABA is the most important neurotransmitter because it affects just about everything else. Primarily it enhances the brains other neurotransmitters such as Serotonin and Dopamine. All of the brains neurotransmitters have important functions such as, voluntary movement of the muscles, wakefulness, sleep, memory function, sensory transmission - especially pain, and much, much more.

The problem is that from this point on your brain needs more benzo as tolerance starts the downward spiral, and the brain needs higher and higher dosages to obtain the same effect. If the patient is not given the correct dosage or management advice, that insidious and often-undiagnosed disorder known as Benzo Withdrawal Syndrome (BWS) will start its ugly and potentially dangerous descent.

BWS is known by experts in the field for its severity and prolonged nature. It may take years to fully withdraw from benzos, even with proper care and supervision. Without this knowledge, the unwitting patient can suffer from over 30 symptoms, the most common being unrelenting insomnia, severe pain and mood changes. People who have been taking benzos for a relatively short time can experience withdrawal symptoms even whilst taking the drug. In addition, if you have been taking them for a prolonged time, and then suddenly stop, dire circumstances may happen. Or, at the very least, more pain, more depression and unrelenting insomnia.

When we now read about Heath Ledgers complaints, does this sound familiar? Everything points to extreme Benzo Withdrawal, but no-one is exclaiming its dangers. In fact, most GPs and even hospital doctors admit they know very little about Benzo Withdrawal. Some even refer their patients to drug rehabilitation centers – an absolute no-no according to benzo counselors. Benzo withdrawal is the exact opposite to alcohol or street drug dependency. You don't want to abruptly eliminate the benzo from your body, as they often do in drug rehabilitation. The brain needs the benzo. One must gradually withdraw the artificial benzo until the brain can eventually increase its own GABA. Sudden cessation of benzos can cause severe problems such as seizures and blackouts.

When in BWS, the counselors advise against taking any medication or drugs whatsoever. Paracetamol is probably the only thing the body can cope with for pain relief. Nothing else. Even codeine is forbidden. Also, one should totally refrain from alcohol, caffeine, and all stimulants. There is a strong protocol to be followed and without this knowledge, the patient is easily put at great risk.

The Ashton Manual, the acknowledged benzodiazepine 'bible, warns:

"Drug interactions: Benzodiazepines have additive effects with other drugs with sedative actions including other hypnotic's, some antidepressant's (e.g. amitriptyline [Elavil], doxepin [Adapin, Sinequan]), major tranquilizers or neuroleptics (e.g. prochlorperazine [Compazine], trifluoperazine [Stelazine]), anticonvulsant's (e.g. phenobarbital, phenytoin [Dilantin], carbamazepine [Atretol, Tegretol]), sedative antihistamines (e.g. diphenhydramine [Benadryl], promethazine [Phenergan]), opiates (heroin, morphine, meperidine), and, importantly, alcohol. Patients taking benzodiazepines should be warned of these interactions. If sedative drugs are taken in overdose, benzodiazepines may add to the risk of fatality."

The real problem is that there are extremely few experts in treating BWS; they will not include your local doctor, hospital, or drug clinic. However, there are good BWS specialists that can be extremely helpful, but they are usually found in specially funded tranquillizer recovery clinics.

One must ask, why don't doctors know about this? The problem is they simply don't. Is it their fault or the pharmaceutical companies that profit from these addictions? There is little or no dissemination of information within the community, the medical fraternity or from the pharmaceutical companies about benzodiazepines. And, according to BWS counselors working in the field, there is insufficient research or empirical studies on the effects of benzos and BWS management to assist them with their intensive workload's.

Why? Who is at fault? Who is responsible for remedying the situation? Why are the people who write the scripts uninformed about the after-effects and potential dangers associated with benzodiazepines?

Can our beloved Heath Ledgers death be at least one catalyst that will draw this devastating travesty to the public's attention to demand more information?

I hope so.

Handcrafting Jewelry Boxes - What It Really Means to be Committed to Quality

There's so much hype in today's marketplace about quality, it has become an almost meaningless word. So rather than talk on and on about quality, it will be more instructive to talk you through the rigorous quality practices that define the kind of quality inherent in true hand crafting.

Let's start with the design process: Aesthetics and functionality are like the two wings of a bird; without the right balance between the two, the piece won't "fly". We have spent the past ten years in a continuous improvement process in both of these areas. What people immediately notice about our boxes are the pleasing, soft lines. Whatever design themes you choose to highlight must be applied consistently and consciously, leaving no detail to chance. Exceptional care must always be taken to make sure that the beauty of each individual piece of wood is displayed to its utmost advantage.

It is important to apply the same level of detail to the functionality of each piece. Years of experimentation and problem solving have yielded the most efficient and easy-to-use space use that we have seen anywhere. Design features like removable trays and customizable dividers are standard because no collection is exactly like anyone else's. Efficient space use can and should bebeautiful, as well.

In order to show the designs properly, you must use the finest wood availablein the world. This is no overstatement. We work directly with sawyers at the source of where the wood grows at its finest. Our sawyers know we are fanatics about wood quality and choose from their prime stock. Once the wood arrives in Colorado, we allow it to acclimate for 1-6 months depending on the species. By adjusting to the arid climate of the southwest, the wood naturally reaches an optimal 5% moisture content without structural tensions. Needless to say, you should use only solid wood construction that is color matched naturally. That way, you don't have to use the numerous dyes or pigments that most manufacturers use to cover up inconsistencies or flaws in the wood. The other material required for true quality is genuine rayon velvet made by A. Wimpfheimer & Bro., the finest manufacturer of velvet for jewelry boxes in the country.

It's not enough to have extraordinary designs and materials – the approach to craftsmanship is where the magic really takes shape. You must care more about expressing the lost art of craft and sharing the beauty that results than about being the biggest or best known jewelry box maker. And how the wood feels when it is touched and about how many generations of use a box can provide. So we go to exceptional lengths in the crafting process and take care with things like: selecting each piece of wood for the box from the same piece of wood, so the wood "wraps" around each corner, and constructing each wooden box with floating panels so the wood can move as needed, depending on the climate you live, and reinforcing joints in several ways, providing a redundancy that mass manufacturers don't have time to do, sanding each piece up to 20 separate times, and using a finish that's durable, non-toxic to the environment, and maintenance-free. There's a lot more but, hopefully, this helps you understand why our jewelry boxes have been
displayed in museums and described as "heirlooms".

In a book featuring our work, Objects for Use: Handmade by Design, Holly Hotchner, American Craft Museum Director, writes: "Art, craft, and design are ultimately about relationships established between the makers of things and the individuals who become the possessors, consumers, and users of those things. Through these objects we are invited into the artistic, emotional, and spiritual worlds of the creator; by selecting and using these objects, we complete a creative process begun by the maker. Objects designed and made for use underline humanistic values honored and shared by makers and consumers, values that give meaning and purpose to our lives at many levels." We invite you to share in our artistic, emotional, and spiritual world through the use of extraordinarily high quality containers for your most treasured objects.

Use Email to Get Inside

So now that you are systematically collecting opt-in emails from your customers (if you are not see www.promoterz.com) how effectively are you using email to build the relationship with your customers? Do you see email as just a cheap replacement for traditional print, radio, or TV advertising? If so, you are leaving opportunities on the table.

The other day I saw a "Graduation-Wedding-Mother's Day" sale advertised on television. I was a little surprised that they left out Memorial Day, but it highlights a few of the draw backs of the medium. First, it is shotgun meaning that everybody sees the same thing so you are tempted to provide something for everybody in the same ad. Second, it is expensive and takes time to create ads, so the inclination is to make them either very generic or, again, cover all your bases.

Email doesn't have those problems. You know exactly who you are sending to (and with your opt-in list you know they want it) and you can put an email together in a few minutes and send it out (if you can't, check out www.promoterz.com). With these strengths, if you are using email just to say what the other guys are saying on TV you are shooting air balls.

Think of the email you get from your friends. Do they send you "Happy Graduation-Wedding-Mother's Day" emails? No, chances are they talk about last night's game, what happened over the weekend, or a great place they visited. Email allows you to be immediate and to be current. Use it that way.

Here is an example. The Suns just lost game 4 of the first round of the NBA playoffs to the Lakers. If you've got a business in Phoenix how about a "Beat the Lakers Special" in preparation for game 5? Throw in a blurb about how many teams have come back from 1 and 3 in the first round and sign off with "Go Suns!"

Customers not sports fans? No problem, find another local or regional event to mention. The point is that there are thousands of businesses out there throwing millions of dollars at generic ads. With email you now have a way to cut through all that chaos and capture your customers' imagination and enthusiasm with some thing that is uniquely you and your business. So use it.

Hey, if you got a big guy inside--get him the ball!

What is the Best Footwear for Your Outdoor Activity?

There are many types of footwear on the market today depending on what activities you enjoy and what suits your needs as an individual. From posh parties to the beach to a casual shopping trip, what you wear on your feet distinguishes who you are. A day hiking the trails can be a disaster with the wrong footwear.

If you are the type of individual that enjoys a number of outdoor activities but none serious enough to warrant specific footwear for each sport, then a multi-sport shoe is for you. This type of footwear is ideal for that walk in the park, a light day hike through a well traveled trail, a fun game in the field, and is a definite life-saver on vacations. It allows you to multi task your activities and gives you enough support and versatility to not limit your enjoyment.

If you are more of an enthusiast and have an adrenalin-like craving then Approach Shoes are the ticket. They are great for those mountain visits with their excellent rock scrambling traction and climbing potential, yet stylish enough to cruise the mall. The soles of these shoes are made out of a sticky rubber and more closely resemble a climbing shoe than a hiking shoe. Approach shoes where intended to give a climber or mountaineer a comfortable yet solid footing for those short or long traverses to your climbing area. These shoes are not to be confused with climbing shoes. Though many climbers prefer them on easy multi terrain climbs, they are no substitute on difficult climbs.

Then there are your beach activities. Whether you are playing volley ball or just swimming, sport sandals are a good choice. There are many makes and models to choose from. These types of sandals are also referred to as "Mandals", because they are primarily worn by men (or in New Zealand slang "Jandals"). They are constructed with many types of materials. Synthetic fabric and leather is widely used along with a rubber treaded sole. These sandals sometimes have a removable rear heel harness to minimize foot slippage and are ideal for beach sports. They enable the user the mobility to maneuver over rough terrain and not have his or her sandal come off.

If you are just cruising the beach and do not need the support and versatility that a sport sandal offers, then a "Flip Flop" is perfect for you. It consists of a rubber (usually) sole held on to the foot by two pieces of material ranging from plastic to leather called thongs. These thongs extend from the inner and outer side of the foot to the gap between the big toe. There is no strap to the heel and the sandal moves up and down, creating a "flip-flop" sound.

Flip-Flops (thongs) are very prominent in the surfer culture. They are becoming everyday footwear in the cities as well. Flip-Flops have stood the test of time and are growing more and more as some of the most popular footwear for the summer.

When choosing footwear for outdoor activities, ensure you consider the climate and the requirements of the activity. Does the activity call for extra traction, more ventilation, more insulation or more support? Above all, pick a shoe that will keep your feet comfortable. Choose the right shoes now and enjoy your outdoor activities even more.

What Is The Best Digital Camera For Me?

There is so much to consider when looking for the best digital camera to suit your needs. It is important to decide what features matter the most to you. The main factors, apart from cost, in assessing which is the best digital camera for you are as follows:

• Size and weight
• Resolution
• Level of Control
• Options and features

The size and weight of the best digital camera for one person varies greatly to that of another. If you want a camera that is lightweight and will slip into a pocket or purse then a ultra-lightweight cameras will probably be the best digital camera for your needs. These are often the least complex of the digital cameras as they offer point and shoot simplicity and are the best digital camera for beginners. At the other end of the size and weight scale comes a bulky 1? pound SLR camera for the 'serious' photographer who wants the best digital camera with all of the accessories to take the perfect shot.

The resolution you need can narrow down which is the best digital camera for your requirements. The resolution affects the detail of an image for printing quality and the higher the resolution the greater the detail. The best digital camera for printing standard size pictures has a lower resolution than if you want to create oversize prints.

The best digital camera for being able to edit and manipulate your images is one with a resolution of 5 or 6 mega pixels so that you can crop the images with photo editing software and still print them out full size.

The amount of control that you have available will also be an issue in finding the best digital camera. Some people think that the best digital camera is one they can use in an automatic mode and let the camera do the work. Others choose the best digital camera that allows them more input in the creative process by manually adjusting the focus, speed, aperture and other settings. A simple point and shoot camera is the best digital camera for people not wanting to make any setting changes but the range of manual controls available on other cameras varies with make and model. The latter will require more research to find the best digital camera to meet your requirements.

The next part in deciding which is the best digital camera to buy is to assess what, if any, additional features you would like. Here are some suggestions:

• Audio annotation to add commentary to your images.
• Burst shooting which allows you to take multiple pictures in rapid succession for fast moving action shots.
• Macro photo capability that focuses on extreme close-up detail for images of flowers, insects, etc.
• Movie mode with audio to take short videos.
• Panoramic stitching function, often included in a camera's software package, which joins individual images into a multi-photo panoramic picture.
• Weatherproof casing

The most important aspect in choosing the best digital camera for you is ensuring that you are comfortable using it and have some fun taking pictures.

Why a Celebrity Lookalike or a Female Impersonator Would Be a Big Hit at Your next Event!

Have you ever considered hiring a celebrity lookalike or female impersonator for your next party or special event? If you haven't, you are missing out on one of the hottest trends in event planning right now. Hiring celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators can help your next event by:

•Offering laughs and surprises. Just imagine the look on your guests' faces as they are greeted by Elvis or Madonna at your party or big event. Most people laugh out loud when they see celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators. By including these types of entertainers, you can immediately create a great atmosphere and encourage people to relax and enjoy themselves.

•Drawing attention. If celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators arrive at your event, it is guaranteed that people will be intrigued and want to join in all the fun. Plus, imagine the terrific response you can get if you advertise that The Beatles will be at your music school workshop. The truth is, celebrity and female impersonators are great marketing, no matter what sort of event you are hosting.

•Offering a personalized event. There are qualified entertainers out there who can impersonate anyone and anything. No matter what your interests and no matter what the theme of your event, you can find great lookalike entertainers to help you. Even if you are planning a business conference, imagine the great atmosphere you would build by including Bill Gates or Donald Trump lookalikes.

•Offering superb entertainment. Many celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators have voice and theater training. Some can present speeches, sing, or do stand up comedy acts. If you are tired of having the same old music band, lookalikes are an exciting new option.

•Offering great photo opportunities. Few entertainers offer the sort of great photos that celebrity lookalikes and female impersonators can offer. These entertainers spend hours achieving the perfect look to make your event a great success.

No matter what your next big event will be like, hiring celebrity and female impersonators is a great idea. Your guests will talk about your event for years to come and will eagerly look forward to the future events you host.

Quit Smoking - You Can Do It

Smoking is believed to be 10% physical addiction and 90% psychological addiction. The nicotine withdrawals usually subside in three days or less, but the psychological dependency on smoking is much more difficult to defeat.

In order to help you quit smoking, you need to do a self-analysis on the reasons you smoke and the reasons on why you want to quit smoking.

The easiest way to do this is to make a list. Label one column on why you started smoking and the other column on why you want to quit smoking.

In column one, list all the reasons you can remember as to why you started smoking. Was it peer pressure? Rebellion? Did you think it made you look cool? Did it make you feel like a grown-up? Really, try to remember the exact reasons why you started smoking and write them all down.

Now review your list of reasons why you smoke. Do any of those reasons still apply in your life today? More than likely the reasons you started to smoke does not apply to the reasons you smoke today. If you are like most people, you will see that your reasons for becoming a smoker are no longer valid, are often just silly, and are easily outweighed by the risks to your health and your family's well-being.

Now write a list on why you want to quit smoking. This one may seem obvious, but it can be a bit deceiving. You really need to take some time and think hard about this. Do not just list the obvious health reasons. You have been reading the Surgeon General's warnings for years with little effect, so you need to come up with reasons that truly have meaning for you.

The most common reasons that people to quit smoking are:
· I do not want to get lung cancer.
· I do not want to have a heart attack or a stroke.
· I would like to live long enough to see my grandchildren grow up.

Certainly the list above are good reasons to quit, but the truth is, is that they are possibilities and not specifics. For example, sure, you might get lung cancer, you might have a heart attack or a stroke, and you might die young and miss seeing your grandchildren grow up, or you might not!

The bottom line is that you are not going to break a psychological addiction based on what might happen to you if you continue to smoke. Your addiction to nicotine will work hard to convince you that it will not happen to you.

The alternative is to list health problems that you are experiencing now. Your list should point out things in your life that you are actively unhappy about and are STRONGLY MOTIVATED to change. In order to break your psychological addiction, you need a battery of new thoughts and desires that are stronger than your desire to smoke!

For example, the list below identifies that most smokers can relate to right now. Not what might be.

Health Reasons

· I get so out of breath when I exert myself even a little bit. Just vacuuming the house makes me pant and gasp.

· My feet are always cold. This could be due to high blood pressure and poor circulation associated with smoking.

· I have a nasty wet cough and I have to blow my nose excessively. Mucus build-up is the body's reaction to all the toxins and chemicals in cigarette smoke and could be a precursor to serious respiratory disease. Even if I do not get cancer, I do not want to be one of those people who have to carry an oxygen bottle.

· I am always tired. Could it be that my body is using up all its energy trying to eliminate the toxins and chemicals from cigarettes?

Vanity Reasons

· Smoking causes premature aging and drying of the skin. I do not want to look like a wrinkled up old prune!

· My fingers, fingernails and teeth are all tobacco stained. Disgusting! How embarrassing.

· When I get on the elevator after a smoke break at work, everyone wrinkles their nose and tries to edge away from me because I reek of cigarette smoke. I feel like a leper. It is embarrassing to be the smelly one the elevator. I feel like I have no self-control.

· My breath is awful. Kissing me must be like kissing an ashtray. I spend a fortune on breath mints.


Financial Reasons

· If I save all the money I used to spend on cigarettes, I will have enough to take a vacation in Cancun (or some other warm tropical place) every winter!

· I could use the money to pay off my credit cards!

· I could donate money to my favorite charity or sponsor a child. My cigarette money could make the world a better place!

Family Reasons

· My family can stop worrying about me.

· My spouse will have to find something new to nag about to me.

· My children will be proud of me and they will never start smoking themselves, having seen firsthand what a nasty destructive habit it is.

Cleanliness Reasons

· The walls used to be white. Now they are a nasty dirty-looking brown. I need to repaint... again!

· I stink, my car stinks, my house stinks, everything I own reeks of cigarette smoke. I cannot even lend a book to a non-smoking friend because they cannot stand the smell of smoke permeating the pages!

Do you see yourself in any of the items listed above? You may have many more reasons of your own. Write down as many compelling and emotion reasons to quit smoking as you can think of.

If you can re-train your mind to think of smoking as a silly and self-destructive thing to do, then you are almost sure to succeed.

Can Former Lovers be Just Good Friends?

Can you be good friends with an ex-lover? Firstly, the word 'lover' has many connotations and the answer may be different for a one-night stand. But what I believe if it's someone who spent a substantial portion of his/her life with, someone who have had a good relationship with, based on shared values, ideas and emotions, a healthy friendship is definitely possible even after they are no longer involved. This is possible because every relationship evolves. If both people concerned have the same level of understanding that they did when they were lovers, it can be used to establish a stable friendship. Of course, if there's any negativity from either side, being friends may not be possible, and that's sad.

When a man and woman relate, there's always a part that is sexual, small though it may be. In most relationships, you tend to suppress the attraction. But when you're friends with an ex, it's much easier to understand and accept this attraction as you've already experienced all there was to experience. In some cases, one person may feel it more than the other, but either way. I think it's much easier to talk such residual attraction through, as you both share a certain level of comfort. Communication is the basis of any relationship.

Even when you and your ex have new love interests in your life, communication is still the key. I believe, for the new relationship to work, you cannot hide your past. The attempt should be not to do things that you need to hide. And you have to resolve the level of importance you want to give your current lover and your ex. Your partner may be insecure, but then we're insecure about so many things in our life. For example, people do compromise their careers for their relationship. So you have to either talk things through with your partner or compromise on your friendship.

As for whether an ex can be a platonic friend who can casually rib you about your present relationship or relate well with your current lover, it's all about the different levels of sensitivity that various people display. The dynamics between your friend, your lover and you will play out according to each person's position in your respective relationships.

I don't think prespectives change depending on your gender. It's about what you believe is right and wrong. If the other person has had a very similar upbringing (although that would be rare), he or she is likely to emote, perceive situations, react and resolve issues just like you would.

Making Life Easier, with NLP Chunking!

You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within the NLP circles that I work in and the literature that I read, it is quite a famous rule; 7 plus or minus 2 – this is the notion that the conscious mind can only keep track of between 5 and 9 discrete pieces of information at one time. Your unconscious can literally keep track of billions and billions of things at the same time aparently (clever thing that it is!), while your conscious mind is more one step at a time and it has a fairly narrow focus. WHatever the truth of this, it is a useful way to expereince your own thinking.

Here are a couple of things that you can do to test the extent of your conscious mind: Without writing them down, blurt out now, straight away without thought;

- As many brands of cars as you can.

- As many film titles as you can.

- As many pop groups as you can.

Many people run out of steam when they get to ten, usuallly because of the 7+-2 rule. The bottom line is, when the conscious mind is presented with more than 9 pieces of information, it gets overloaded. So before you send me a very clever email telling me off for pointing out the limits of the conscious mind, would you like to know how you can use this to your advantage? Of course you would.

When you bear the 7+-2 rule in mind, you can start to organise things so that you work with your conscious mind, playing to its strengths. For instance, if you have a to-do list.

Many people that I have encountered have a daily to-do list with 20 or more items on it. This is a recipe for total overwhelm (at which point they often resort to looking for the easiest or funnest thing on the list to do.) The following ideas can help you get a handle on your to-do list really fast, especially if that list has things that are important for your goals and achievements and sense of well-being.

Firstly, scan through the list, looking for items that can be grouped together into categories.

For example, here is a load of the stuff on my list for this week:

Write Adam Up.

Bank cheques.

Finish writing chapter for new book

Prepare for client therapy sessions.

Finish project on public speaking.

Finish marketing material for new courses.

FInish listening to current educational Audio set.

Read through solicitors material regarding other business project.

Write up script for new audio title.

Send out follow-up letters for last weeks clients.

Prepare for photo shoot for new Bio.

Write up blurb for my new Audio release.

Write new web-page copy.

Review new CD covers

Meet PR people

Do proposal for new book for Publishers.

Read e-book

New course blurb

Meet with prospective business artner for new project.

Clear inbox

Have a life. Have fun......

The first thing on the list is 'Write Adam Up' – for me, "Adam Up" is one of my products, so I write 'Product' beside it. Next is 'Bank Cheques' – that's part of our cashflow system, so I write 'Systems' beside it. Pretty soon, every item on my list is in a category:

Write Adam Up.

Bank cheques.

Finish writing chapter for new book

Prepare for client therapy sessions.

Finish project on public speaking.

Finish marketing material for new courses.

Finish listening to current educational Audio set.

Read through solicitors material regarding other business project.

Write up script for new audio title: Products.

Send out follow-up letters for last weeks clients: Systems.

Prepare for photo shoot for new Bio: Marketing.

Write up blurb for my new Audio release: Marketing.

Write new web-page copy: Marketing.

Review new CD covers: Systems

Meet PR people: People.

Do proposal for new book for Publishers: People.

Read e-book: Personal.

New course blurb: Marketing.

Meet with prospective business artner for new project: People.

Clear inbox: Personal.

Have a life. Have fun: Personal.

This is better! I have now gone from a list of 20 or so items (instant overwhelm) to a list of 6 categories which is well within even my 7+-2 limit.

- Products

- Systems

- Training

- Marketing

- People

- Personal

This is what we refer to as chunking in my professional field, and is one of the most effective ways of dealing with any large or complex set of tasks (or set of anything else). You may say "Great, but I've got 200 things on my to-do list". It doesn't matter – the same principles apply. If you go through your to-do list or your goals lists; just get it whittled down from 200 items to 20 categories, that is better, it is getting it more manageable – go through the 20 categories and see where they group together. Group together goals for your own development; being a non-smoker, growing in confidence, creating wealth, reducing weight etc. The key is to have no more than 9 categories at each level – this way your conscious mind can keep track of it.

Secondly, start to manage your to-do list by the high-level categories: You can use this in all sorts of areas to make things more manageable, for example:

- To-do lists.

- Goals you are working toward.

- The filing system on your computer.

- Your filing cabinet.

- Any project you're doing.

One of the things this allows you to do is notice very quickly if there's a specific area where you have not been taking much action lately – very useful for helping focus on what needs attention.

Web Servers and Firewall Zones

Web and FTP Servers

Every network that has an internet connection is at risk of being compromised. Whilst there are several steps that you can take to secure your LAN, the only real solution is to close your LAN to incoming traffic, and restrict outgoing traffic.

However some services such as web or FTP servers require incoming connections. If you require these services you will need to consider whether it is essential that these servers are part of the LAN, or whether they can be placed in a physically separate network known as a DMZ (or demilitarised zone if you prefer its proper name). Ideally all servers in the DMZ will be stand alone servers, with unique logons and passwords for each server. If you require a backup server for machines within the DMZ then you should acquire a dedicated machine and keep the backup solution separate from the LAN backup solution.

The DMZ will come directly off the firewall, which means that there are two routes in and out of the DMZ, traffic to and from the internet, and traffic to and from the LAN. Traffic between the DMZ and your LAN would be treated totally separately to traffic between your DMZ and the Internet. Incoming traffic from the internet would be routed directly to your DMZ.
Therefore if any hacker where to compromise a machine within the DMZ, then the only network they would have access to would be the DMZ. The hacker would have little or no access to the LAN. It would also be the case that any virus infection or other security compromise within the LAN would not be able to migrate to the DMZ.

In order for the DMZ to be effective, you will have to keep the traffic between the LAN and the DMZ to a minimum. In the majority of cases, the only traffic required between the LAN and the DMZ is FTP. If you do not have physical access to the servers, you will also need some sort of remote management protocol such as terminal services or VNC

Database servers

If your web servers require access to a database server, then you will need to consider where to place your database. The most secure place to locate a database server is to create yet another physically separate network called the secure zone, and to place the database server there.
The Secure zone is also a physically separate network connected directly to the firewall. The Secure zone is by definition the most secure place on the network. The only access to or from the secure zone would be the database connection from the DMZ (and LAN if required).

Exceptions to the rule

The dilemma faced by network engineers is where to put the email server. It requires SMTP connection to the internet, yet it also requires domain access from the LAN. If you where to place this server in the DMZ, the domain traffic would compromise the integrity of the DMZ, making it simply an extension of the LAN. Therefore in our opinion, the only place you can put an email server is on the LAN and allow SMTP traffic into this server. However we would recommend against allowing any form of HTTP access into this server. If your users require access to their mail from outside the network, it would be far more secure to look at some form of VPN solution. (with the firewall handling the VPN connections. LAN based VPN servers allow the VPN traffic onto the network before it is authenticated, which is never a good thing.)

Say Goodnight to Insomnia

Do you sometimes feel that you have sleep deprivation? Is the quality of your sleep what it should be or do you wake up feeling tired and lacking energy? In addition, do you have trouble concentrating and just not feeling up to par the rest of the day?

According to the World Health Organization, one third of the world's population experience insomnia at some point in their life. Of that one third, about five per cent need medical treatment.

Below are natural techniques and remedies that can help you sleep without the aid of medical intervention.

Before going to bed, take the time to just sit and relax. Listed to some soft music, and do some deep breathing exercises. It is also best to avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine.

Developing a bedtime routine every evening will eventually associate the routine with sleep. For instance, you could start with a cup of hot milk every evening and a warm bath. Milk contains a protein called tryptophan, which helps to promote sleep. A warm bath or shower will lower your internal body temperature again telling your body that it is time for sleep. If hot milk is not for you, try chamomile tea, which is known to calm the nerves.

Watching TV, reading and eating in your bedroom does not promote sleep, thus your body will not associate your bedroom with sleep. Your bedroom should be dark and cozy room that makes you feel secure and comfortable. The bedroom should make you crave sleep.

It is difficult to sleep when you mind is full of things that you have to do tomorrow. In order to alleviate this, write a to-do list for the next day. Organize your clothes for the morning and prepare lunches the night before. Consider making your appointments a little later in the day if you have a tendency to worry about getting up in the morning.

Many of us have anxieties and regrets or events from the past that may still haunt us. Issues such as these affect are sleeping patterns. Whatever the issues are, today might be a good time to finally set things straight; forgive that person, forgive yourself, give back that item, start talking to that family member again (or even make that appointment to see a psychologist if necessary).

In addition, you can organize your life and chores, thus making the time for a good nights sleep. For instance, make one large supper and freeze half for another day, spot clean the house and pick up daily before it becomes a large task, plan a menu for the week thus alleviating the frustration of what to cook for supper every night. You owe it to your health and those around you to get a good night sleep. With a little bit of planning and routine, you will get to bed earlier and get the sleep you need.

As always, a balanced diet makes a balanced mind. While you are planning your menus for the week take into account that the meals you are preparing have the essential vitamins and minerals. Next, throw away all the junk food, pop and other foods that are loaded with calories but offer no nutritional value. Throw in a little exercise and your insomnia will gradually fade away with an improved mind and body.

If you cannot sleep, then get up. Laying in bed worrying that you cannot fall asleep will only make it worse. Get up, go into a different room, and do something to distract yourself until you feel sleepy.

Many medications will interfere with your sleep. Check with your doctor if you are experiencing insomnia and are also taking any of these medications - amphetamines (diet pills), antidepressants, beta blockers (heart and blood pressure), cimetidine (ulcers), clonidine (blood pressure), cortisone, diuretics (fluid), levodopa (parkinsons), methyldopa (blood pressure) and ventolin (asthma).

Stress is above all the worst cause of insomnia. By using the techniques above you can reduce stress and say goodbye to insomnia.

Microsoft Word Is Great But I Wish I Could...

Microsoft Word is all singing, all dancing. Truly a great product which has made the lives of professional writers and students vastly more productive.

Most of us however are not professional writers. We only use Word to type an occasional missive or and article now and then. We don't need or use 90% of the bells and whistles. Unfortunately, some of these built in bells and whistles are designed to impose themselves and often like to blow loudly in our ears whether we asked for it or not.

Research shows there are three common pet hate 'features' that most average users would rather turn off if only they knew how. This is a cheat sheet for such users.

A. How do I stop Word from helping me type?

Word checks spelling and grammar as you type. When these features are on, spelling and grammar that Word does not recognize are underlined sternly with wavy red and green lines.

To turn off Word's various automatic checking features:

1. From the Tools menu, pick 'AutoCorrect' (or AutoCorrect Options). Then click on the 'AutoCorrect' tab.
2. Uncheck the boxes for the AutoCorrect items that you want to disable.
3. Do the same on the 'AutoFormat As You Type' tab.
4. On the 'AutoText' tab, uncheck the 'Show AutoComplete tip' box.
5. From the Tools menu, pick 'Options' then click on the tabs and uncheck any boxes for features that you want to disable.

B. How do I tell the Office Assistant to go take a walk?

1. Click on the Office Assistant, then click on 'Options'.
2. Uncheck the 'Use Office Assistant' box.

You can also customize the behavior of the Office Assistant by checking or clearing the checkboxes on the 'Options' tab.

If you later decide that you rather miss the lovable Assistant, you can easily bring him back by choosing 'Show the Office Assistant' from the Help menu.

C. How do I turn off the automatic URLs?

Word likes to convert all URLs and email addresses in your document into active hyperlinks. If you'd rather not, then here's how to turn off that feature:

1. From the Tools menu, Choose 'AutoCorrect' (or AutoCorrect Options)
2. Click on 'AutoFormat As You Type' tab.
3. Under 'Replace As You Type', uncheck the 'Internet and network paths with hyperlink' box.

Note that this setting only applies to what you subsequently type. If you forgot to turn off AutoCorrect before you started and you end up with a document full of hyperlinks that you don't want, you can disable them, either one at a time, or all at once. To turn a link off, right-click on the link, select 'Hyperlink' from the pop-up menu, and then select 'Remove Hyperlink'. To remove all links from the document, choose Select All from the Edit menu or press [Ctrl]+[A], and then press [Ctrl]+[6] to remove all hyperlinks.

Most Word features can be turned off or on from the 'Tools' menu. From this menu, the 'Options' command brings up a screen with several tabs where you can make all sorts of changes to Word's behavior. The 'Customize' command lets you to change Word's menus and toolbars.

The 'View' menu also has some great options for changing the look of the Word screen.

The 7 Keys To Your Creative Genius

Here are 7 ways you can instantly access your natural creativity and create anything you like.

1. Think Like A Child. As adults we tend to think in a conditioned way aimed at showing how clever we are. Yet, as children, we were simply spontaneous and far more creative in our thinking. To re-capture your childhood curiosity, allow yourself to just wonder at things, to be completely present in the here and now, and to detach yourself from what you thought was real.

2. Make New Connections. To be innovative doesn't require a university degree; it simply requires making a connection between existing ideas. For instance, did you know that ice cream was invented in 2000 BC yet it took another 3900 years for someone to come up with the idea of a cone? It's when you take two seemingly unrelated items and use the spark of creativity that genius happens.

3. Be A Little Illogical. It is a peculiarly Western trait to want to tie things up in neat bundles. We prefer solutions to problems, and answers to questions. To be creative, you need to be comfortable with things that don't fit. The Eastern tradition is more in tune with incongruence. As in this Zen koan, or problem: what is the sound of one hand clapping?

4. Laugh More. Tom Peters says that the creativity of a workplace can be measured by a laughometer, ie how much it laughs. Humour is one of the greatest creative devices. It jolts us out of our normal patterns and puts ideas together that shouldn't go together. It has been found that after listening to comedy tapes, students' ability to solve problems rises by 60%.

5. Think Outside Your Limits. Many of the products we take for granted today are the result of people thinking outside their limits. John Lynn recalls attending a computer conference in the 1980's at a hotel when someone joked that the next thing they'd be thinking of would be computerised doors. When he went back to the same hotel 20 years later, all the doors used computer-programmed key cards.

6. Adopt and Adapt. To be creative doesn't require blue-sky thinking. You can still be creative by adapting what works elsewhere. An American airline that wanted quicker turnarounds on their flights adopted the techniques of Formula One pit crews. Another source of ideas is nature. Georges de Mestral adapted the way certain seeds stick to clothing and invented Velcro.

7. Remember Your Dreams. Dreaming and day-dreaming can create a rich seam of ideas, because that's when we relax and let the subconscious mind work by itself. The Roffey Park Management Institute calls this "washing-up creativity" because most flashes of inspiration come when we are walking the dog, sitting Archimedes-like in the bath, or doing the washing up.

Apply these 7 creative thinking techniques and make them part of your daily thinking and I guarantee that new solutions to your problems will open up to you with ease and speed.

The Secret - When You Can Walk On Water , Take The Boat ( Part 41 )

The morning arrived and I prepared for my meeting with Gideon.I felt calm and composed yet, there was an undercurrent of excitement that even I couldn't deny. Due to my recent relocation, I wasn't familiar with many of the local streets. Finally, out of frustration, I resorted to a local map and, having located the street, got in my car and drove off.

At the designated address, I walked up to the front door and anxiously rang the bell. A gray-haired lady opened the door, smiled at me and said, "Please come in. You must be John.Gideon is expecting you." I thanked her and entered. I spotted Gideon in the living room and walked over to shake his hand. Simultaneously he stretched out his hand, smiled and motioned for me to sit. Impatiently I fidgeted. The silence was overwhelming. Sometimes,a few seconds can seem like an eternity.

"So, how are you Gideon?" I finally asked. Anything to start a conversation, I thought.

"As usual, John, I'm tending to business, doing the things that need to be done," he replied matter-of-factly.

"Well,your business must have been very busy because I haven't heard from you in ages. Where were you during the past few years, Gideon?I really could have used some help. Somehow I felt abandoned, as good as betrayed, by you and even by God. Remember, we met Him in the Big City-or did we?Was it all nonsense... an illusion? My tired mind playing cruel jokes on me?"

"No, not nonsense at all. Far from it. We were with you all the time. You were so blinded by what appeared to be happening to you, so consumed in self-pity that you weren't even aware of our presence."

I wanted to scream in anger, but managed to restrain myself. "Gideon, I've been and still am going through a mine-field of confusion and suffering. Lost my homes, lands, father, company and most of my dignity and self-confidence. My wife was diagnosed with cancer. Her parents are also being treated for cancer. There's no medical insurance-hardly any money.I mean, how much can one person take? You don't know what it's like... you probably don't even care."

He interrupted me, "Yes, I know about all of that. But you gained strength, humility, wisdom and much more. Jim Elliot, a martyr, once said,'He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.' The things that are important are still with you,even more so today. Your dignity and self-confidence are still with you, but most of all you're regaining your sense of purpose."

"Sense of purpose about what?"

"About what you came here to do."

"What I came here to do? Beats me. I have no idea what I came here to do, except, perhaps, to live and work and struggle until I die."

The Estrogen Underground - Book Review

Cheryl O'Donovan and Tom Wolferman have collaborated their efforts to create a book for women of the Baby Boomer Generation with their recently released book, The Estrogen Underground. Cheryl brings her cartoonist and writer skills while Tom's satire balances out the varied topics for today's women that are talked about in a frank and downright funny manor.

The Estrogen Underground consistently uses light humor along with comic strip like characterizations on every page of the book. The font is a nice, readable size that occasionally mixes with the images, but not so much so that it is difficult to read.

Seven entertaining chapters banter on issues from bad wardrobe choices, changed perceptions of aging women, crazy fads, wild diets, exercise, make-up and hair escapades and plastic surgery, to more serious issues like careers verses hobbies.
Yet throughout the book the main focus seems to be of living in the moment with love and acceptance of one's self.

Topped off with amusing and amazing quotes from famous people along with intimate, personal stories makes The Estrogen Underground a perfect gift for working or family women aged between 40 and 60.

ISBN#: 0-9767732-7-9
Author: Cheryl O'Donovan and Tom Wolferman
Publisher: A Better Be Write Publisher

Jobs Available Online

In the past, applying for a job meant looking through the classified ads in the local paper. The advent of the internet has created various job sites online making it easier for someone to apply for work in another state and in even in another country.

It has made the world a smaller place with everything at one's fingertip and just a click away. Most job sites will require a person to open an account, fill in certain information and deposit a resume.

These sites usually ask for pertinent information such as the person's name, age, address, contact number and social security number.

Other information that will be requested are educational background. Some companies prefer someone with a degree in a certain field or a licensed professional to do the job or perhaps a person who possesses a master's degree.

Employment history is also another thing that has to be mentioned. This includes the job description and highlights that you have experienced during your career.

With the information provided, some of these sites offer a service with a fee that will match your qualifications with jobs that are available and enable you to apply for that position. Some even promise to make your resume stand out over other applicants giving that person more priority over others but even that is a not a guarantee that one will get the job.

One also has to mention the salary the person is receiving both in the current and previous jobs as this is matched with the job the individual wants and the salary one desires.

These sites offer various jobs to people. It caters to professionals and teenagers who want to work either for full time, part time or on a per project basis.

Applying online is not only done through job sites. A lot of companies have websites that have a section on careers which one can access and check what openings are available. One simply has to go through the process of also giving certain information that is asked for and uploading one's resume.

The first impression employers or headhunters look at is one's resume. Given that many people apply, this usually takes these people a short period of time to review and screen certain applicants before going to the next phase of being scheduled and called for an interview.

There are many jobs available in the market. It just takes a little effort on one's part to sit down in front of a computer and look for the right job

Low Rate Car Loans: Get The Best Deal

The best way to haggle for the best fair profit in car loans is to get one with low rates. Interest rates depend on several factors. If your lender charges you low rates, then that means that you have met the criteria needed in order to get good rates on car loans. So what factors can contribute to being charged low rates? Below are a few things you might want to consider if you want to get the best car loan deal available in the auto financing market.

Low Rates Car Loans: Obtain a copy of your credit report.

Approving applications for car loans is a rigorous process and involves a myriad of variables. One of the first things that your lender looks at when evaluating you for car loans is your credit report. If you have good credit, then your chances of getting low rates are high. However, if your credit is bad, there's every chance that you won't get low rates for your car loans. Borrowers with good credit usually get car loans for low rates that range from 1 to 1.9% APR.

If you want to improve your chances of getting approved for car loans with low rates, then it's always a good idea to obtain a copy of your credit report first. In this way, you'll know beforehand what you're facing with when you apply for low rates car loans. You can get your credit report from online credit agencies, such as Experian, Equifax, TrueCredit, or ConsumerInfo.

Another thing that you need to remember with your credit report is that the more times your credit gets pulled out; the greater your chances that your credit rating will drop. With this in mind, it's never a good idea to go around the country applying for car loans here and there in an effort to get low rates. It's better if you get your own credit report and just simply fax a copy of that to a dealer. Any lender or dealer can pre-approve you for low rates car loans using the fax copy. Of course, before finalizing anything, they would perform one last check on your credit and they would have to pull out your file to do this. But this shouldn't be reason for panic. That's just one credit check on your record and the damage is considerably less.

Low Rates Car Loans: Get them from Prime Lenders.

A good way to get low rates is to get your car loans from prime lenders. Examples of prime lenders are banks, credit unions, and other large lending institutions. Banks often charge low rates for their car loans, thereby saving you thousands of money in monthly repayments. Credit unions also offer low rates for their car loans, lower even than those offered by banks. If you're a member of a credit union, you enjoy even more incentives, such as special low rates, additional features, and more.

Low Rates Car Loans: Look at Tiers.

If you want to get low rates for your car loans, then you should be prepared to do a good amount of research. If push comes to shove, you can always go to your bank and speak with any of their loan officers regarding their credit tiers. These are usually rated as follows: A, A-, et cetera.

6 Ways to Pinpoint Your Perfect Career

Have you ever felt stuck in your career? Employee stress and burn out can account for a lot of dissatisfaction in your life. After all, you are at work some 8 hours a day or more. That's 1/3 of your day if you don't count sleep. That's a long time to be dissatisfied.

If you feel stuck, here are 6 great ways to find your ideal career:

1. Brainstorm on a sheet of paper - I've talked about this before and it's a strategy I use all the time. Take a pad of paper and write down at the top your objective in question form. Then, simply list out 20 answers to your question. For example, you could write "What should I be doing with my time and life?" Then stay seated for a half hour to an hour coming up with answers to that question. The key to this exercise is coming up with 20 answers - don't quit until you have 20 answers. You can repeat every day until you get the answer you seek.

2. Ask 3 close friends - Sometimes our friends know us better than ourselves. While meeting with one of your friends, mention you are at a crossroads in your life and career. Ask what they think you'd enjoy doing. You might be surprised at how easily they can zero in to your strengths and abilities and report a perfect job area.

3. Ask your boss and coworkers - much like your friends in the example above, your boss and coworkers most likely see you in a way you do not see yourself. In fact, they are likely most familiar with your strengths and weaknesses in the work environment. Compile all the answers you get from them and see if there are any common threads you can explore.

4. Call a headhunter - If you are searching in your career, it's likely you have a resume. Sometimes you can catch a headhunter or recruiter during their slow times and meet with them to pick through what you might be good at. I've done this at different times in my life and the people seem open to talking with people. After all, if you don't get paid, they don't either. The ideas I get are usually good. 

5. Take a career assessment test - There are several sites on the Internet you might be able to take one of these tests for a fee. But using my 'headhunter' tip above, many headhunters have this software and don't mind you taking the test in their office. I've taken these tests two times in my life and they usually take an hour or two, but they are thorough. They ask you to answer a series of questions about what you are good at, what you like to do, what you prefer doing over what you don't. If you take one, you will likely see some new exciting areas to explore in your life.

6. Keep a journal - Do you keep a journal? If so, read through, looking for common threads in your writing. Keep your eyes peeled for trends and activities you like as well as don't like. In fact, finding examples of what you don't like and what frustrates you is almost as important as finding what you do like. For example, if you hate an overwhelming boss, you'd probably like a self-directed position. If you hate nosy coworkers you'd probably prefer your own office.

Discovering what you really want to do with your life is the most important decision you can make. We spend 1/3 or more of our lives at work. So figuring out the right career is important to keeping that 1/3 of our lives happy and productive.
 

Digital Photo Printing Online

If you are like me having a photo processing lab in your office is too much to resist. I bought a $360 digital camera, a $400 color photo printer and I was ready for business. Or so I thought. I took piles of pictures and filled my hard drive up with somewhat goofy pictures of all my kids, neighbors, cars and pets. I was really pleased just to have them on my computer ready to peruse at my leisure. When I showed them to relatives they often requested copies that I was dying to make with my new lab equipment.

Printing pictures at home was too expensive and the quality was poor

After printing the first 2 or 3 photos it struck me that they were not fit to put in a frame that would grace the walls of my 800 square foot apartment. I could still see the printer lines when I looked closely. Although the picture on the computer was incredibly clear, the printed copy had lost its crisp edge. I still did not give up hope. I wanted to print my own photos! I set out to find the highest quality inks and the finest of photo papers. All at its due cost I was ready to process some photos that would make my neighbors and colleagues sick with jealousy. To make a long story short I have not used my color printer since that day and I have a drawer in my desk full of rather expensive blank photo paper.

I lived the next few years content with flipping through folders on my laptop when family was in town. When they were out of town I would avoid their phone calls and email the pictures in hopes that they would find a compressed photo sufficient to fulfill their needs

Then out of the blue my husband decided to learn more about photography in a three week course offered at a nearby local college. Every night he would come home and rattle on about all the cutting edge information they taught him about the new digital photography age that we had entered.

You can print your digital photos online

In the midst of his sharing this information I heard him mention that the professor owned a rather large chain of camera shops.

Printing photos online and getting them in the mail was easy

They offered online photo uploads that would be processed and mailed to you in your selected sizes and various other options. It flicked a switch in my rather foggy brain and I realized that I could have my very own photo processing lab. Instead of retrieving the photos from my printer I just had to get them out of my mailbox.

Right away I jumped online and began uploading my favorite pictures. It was a piece of cake and the first few prints were free for signing up. A few days later I was putting more nails in my walls to hang some very beautiful, professional prints that I had made with my own digital camera in my very own home.

How writing articles will benefit your website

If you have a website or plan to have one and you don't know how to write articles, you need to start learning how to write articles, download articles from other authors (Have in mind that if you download articles from other authors you need to follow some rules. One of them is that you can't change anything on the article and that you need to have the author name on the article) or the other choice that you have is that you need to pay someone to write articles for your website.

If you want inbound links to your site one way to do this without paying is writing articles and post them in different sites that allow you to submit articles. Make sure you submit your article on the right category and also make sure you write the articles according to their terms. If you don't follow the terms then you won't have your article publish.

One advantage that you can get with writing articles is that if your article get submitted that is an automatically inbound link to your site without having to add a link on your site to them. Also a lot of people will read your article and some of them will download your article for content on their site. Think about this for one second "This means for every person that download your article and add the article for content to their site you'll get an inbound links to your site". Don't you think this is a good start?

So if you are not that good with writing articles you have couple options, link popularity, Link Exchange or Inbound Links. I think if you want to have a good website you need to combine all of them together but as a webmaster you always have your choices. I hope this article helps you to understand more about How writing articles will benefit to your website.

Why You Need a 3-Tiered Strategy For Article Submission

You've heard a lot about how much writing articles can do for your internet marketing strategy. You now understand how writing articles can help position you as an expert in your field, gain valuable targed traffic for your web site, and quickly multiple your site's text links.

Now you have convinced yourself to take the plunge into article marketing and you have a few articles all lined up and ready to submit -- and you are overwhelmed by the sheer volume and variety of article directories available. It is easy to simply go with the big dogs and forget the rest, but that is a big mistake. You really need to have a 3-tiered article submission strategy. Select a couple of the big dogs, but also add some medium-sized directories and some smaller, newer directories to your list for regular submission as well. There are several reasons why this strategy can be much more effective in the long run than targeting the large directories alone.

The mega-directories carry a big punch in terms of link power and recognition. You can almost watch the reader numbers climb on your articles. But because they are so big they also get a large volume of submissions every day and your articles very quickly move from the top page of the directories new submissions list and even from the top page of the topic listing.

Medium-sized directories don't pack as big a punch as the mega, but their text link value is still strong and they usually have a solid reader base. They have been around long enough to build a loyal audience and clientele. However because they are not as big their submission volume is lower than the mega so your articles retain top billing longer -- and becoming a top article or top author may be an attainable goal for the part-timer.

Small and/or new directories usually don't offer nearly the level of power of their larger brethren, but a quick study will reveal whether or not the directory is regularly maintained and promoted -- and you know that will mean the link power currently exists and will grow in the near future. Also with new and small directories you can easily achieve top author status and your articles will stay at the top of the ranking longer -- they may well pass directly from "new" status to "top" status which rarely if ever happens at a mega directory.

That is my current strategy for article submission and I hope you found it helpful.

Organizing Kids To Make The Grade

Can being organized really improve a student's school performance? Absolutely.

"Teachers agree that a child's lack of organization dramatically impacts homework, studying skills and test scores," says parenting expert Stacy DeBroff, who surveyed hundreds of teachers and parents for her recent book, "The Mom Book Goes to School: Insider Tips to Ensure Your Child Thrives in Elementary and Middle School."

"Many kids lag behind because they lack basic self-management and organizational skills, and have trouble with concepts like planning ahead, prioritizing responsibilities and managing time effectively," notes DeBroff.

To help parents and children get organized, DeBroff partnered with Office Depot, a leader in organizational solutions, to compile a free online guide called "Organized to Learn." Available at www.school.com, it features simple tips that can help every family get ready for school. Among the highlights:

• Plan the Work, Then Work the Plan. Each week, talk to your child about key assignments and events. Then create a weekly checklist together using a dry-erase board. Let your child cross off each item or task after it is completed to feel a sense of accomplishment.

• Visible Reminders Are a Great Tool. Try using a simple, wearable reminder system to help jog your kids' memory. The Mead Wrist Reminders are paper bracelets children wear to remember important "to do's"-from turning in permission slips to being home at a certain time.

• An Organized, Ergonomic Backpack Saves Time and Backaches. Backpacks and books are getting heavier. Look for a backpack that is ergonomically designed, with multiple pockets, and that will do most of the organizational work for your child, like the TUG by Foray backpack line.

• Share Files in a Flash. Whether working with study groups, sharing research or bringing an absent friend up-to-date on missed class notes, kids today are sharing information electronically. Students can use an Ativa flash memory drive complete with McAfee software, which scans for viruses before your child transfers the file to his or her computer.

• Good Paper Management. Help kids use their notebooks to create effective filing systems. One solution is the Mead Five Star Flex Hybrid NoteBinder, which can be customized with folders, reinforced notepaper and color dividers.