Don t skip the follow up after an interview

How to write a thank you letter to use after an interview, a phone interview, or even to someone who passed your name on to a hiring manager is an art that is not taught as often as it should be by placement services and others who help job seekers with finding jobs. They always cover the basics of resume writing, interview preparation, cover letter writing, how to create a reference sheet, and even how to prepare a salary history, which isn’t even required that often, but how to write a thank you letter is a subject that should be covered. It is a necessary skill that puts the capstone on the interview or other contact you had, makes you appear to be thoughtful and intelligent, and puts you above the crowd. Some hiring managers are so swamped with resumes and cover letters when they post a listing on an online job bank or run a newspaper classified ad that they look for reasons to discard resumes. Having five hundred resumes in your email in box can be quite intimidating. Some hiring managers have been known to send out an automated response to all applicants letting them know that the resume was received. They will then sit back and wait for further communication. If an applicant knows how to write a thank you letter they have a jump on the competition immediately. How to do it? As in all formal correspondence it should be block formatted with proper spelling, addresses and salutations. Keep it short—two or three paragraphs. In the first paragraph express your primary purpose by thanking the person you are writing to for their time and consideration. Business people are busy and time is a valuable commodity. In the second paragraph restate one or two key job skills you can bring to the position. Remind the reader as to why you are a good candidate for the job. In the third paragraph, thank the reader again, and reiterate that you are available by phone, email or in person should they have further questions. End with the traditional business ending “sincerely yours”. An example of how knowing how to write it occurred with one job seeker a few years ago at a business brokerage in the Midwest. This job seeker was already working as a part-time telemarketer. She was competing for a full-time office manager position against two other. One of the men had a bachelors degree and the other was about to receive her bachelors. Both had several more years experience in office administration Obviously the other candidates were more qualified than the first applicant, but she knew how to write a thank you letter, and proved it. After her interview with the company owner, the managing broker and the old office manager (who was retiring and helping choose her own replacement) the fist candidate composed a thank you letter. She then printed out individualized copies for each person she interviewed with mailed them that evening. When the interviewers received them the next day they were impressed with her thoughtfulness and adherence to protocol. Despite the fact that the other two applicants were more qualified, she was hired. The fact that she knew how to write one probably got her the job she was seeking. Many hiring managers will interview multiple candidates and only hire from those who send thank you letters. Some studies have shown that only one in ten applicants see the importance of thank you letters, so it should be obvious that if you know how to write a thank you letter you have a very important job skill.

Back exercises for beginning bodybuilders

From a bodybuilder's perspective one of the most important body areas is the back. Not only can it be visually impressive but a strong back is essential for intensive training and day to day living. In bodybuilding you are aiming for three things with regard to developing the back muscles: - Thickness of the upper back (traps). - Wide lats. - Highly defined lower back (spinal erectors and lower lats). As a beginner there are five essential exercises for developing these muscles quickly: 1. Dumbbell shrugs - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will develop the traps. 2. Seated V-bar cable rows - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will develop the mid upper back. 3. Bent over barbell rows - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will add thickness to the upper back. 4. Pullups - Aim for 25 reps. This exercise will strengthen the entire back. 5. Pulldowns - 3 sets of 10-15 reps. This exercise will define the lats. As with all exercises you need to take care in scheduling specific body parts. To begin with you should incorporate your back exercises into a program similar to the one suggested below: Day 1: Biceps, Back, Abs Day 2: Hamstrings, Shoulders, Abs Day 3: Quads, Forearms, Calves Day 4: Triceps, Chest, Abs For the first couple of weeks complete one set but then add one set each week to a maximum of three. At the end of three months you will be ready to move on to more intensive intermediate level exercises.

Take the bite out of your toddler's biting problem

Take the Bite out of your Toddler's Biting Problem The majority of toddlers engage in some biting between their first and third birthdays. Probably the most common reason is that it is one of the few ways of communicating that's effective for them, before verbal skills are developed. However, not all children bite. Some choose other forms of communication, such as grabbing, shoving, or punching. Another reason toddlers bite is to express frustration, a feeling which is very common with toddlers, because both their communication skills and their motor skills are so limited. To a young toddler it can be funny to see mommy suddenly bolt upright or for a playmate to start crying. Toddlers may also bite because they're teething or because they put everything in their mouths anyway, so why not someone's arm? It could even be something as simple as hunger. But how do you teach your child not to bite? Make it perfectly clear that the biting is hurtful and wrong and point out to your child how much pain their biting has caused. Express that biting is wrong and unacceptable and that neither mommy or daddy like it. If you discover that your child is biting out of frustration, try giving them an alternative to express to people they are having a difficult time. Though language is a difficult task at this age, most toddlers can be taught words that are appropriate for such a situation. For instance, "You need to tell mommy or daddy that you need help and not bite us," or "Show mommy what you need, but don't bite. You'll hurt her if you bite and I know you don't want to hurt mommy, do you?" Experts agree that parents should try not to give biting so much attention that it becomes an attention-getter. This is true of all behavior that you don't want to see repeated. Firmly tell the child again that there is no biting allowed, that it is wrong, and that it hurts people.

How legalized online gambling is better for society

The question we should be asking is, by banning online gambling are we going to make things better or worse? The answer to that question is simple, banning legalized and regulated online gambling in any form, just makes another way for organized crime to get a hold of peoples money, and then no one but the criminals win. If you want to keep a child from seeing an R rated movie you do not ban the movie from the theaters do you? No that would be silly you just make sure that people are doing there best to check and verify that no one under 18 gets into see the movie. By banning the movie chances are greater that someone will get a bootleg copy and show it to every kid in the town. So if you want to keep a child from gambling online then all the online casinos should be regulated and monitored, not banned. The same goes for terrorists. If you believe terrorist groups are exploiting an unregulated and unmonitored industry such as the online gambling industry, then by regulating it you can see where the money is going and make sure it is not going to fund international terrorist attacks. All that is accomplished by banning it is that the criminals get a stronger grip on the industry. The ban on online gambling is much like the war on drugs. If marijuana was legalized in the USA crimes related to it would almost go away completely, because it would be sold in stores and it would be controlled, another advantage would be that people would no longer be going to jail for marijuana related charges, this means thousands of less people getting arrested and going to jail every year, which would save us tax money that could be better spent. By making online gambling in the USA a legalized form of adult entertainment it would also bring in an estimated 1.2 billion dollars in taxes to the American government. This money could be used for schools, police and universal healthcare for all Americans. This is how you improve society, not by telling people what to do. It is human nature to want what we can not have so the more laws you put in place to stop people from doing something the better the chances are that people are going to do it. People are just as likely to become addicted to gambling at a regulated casino as an unregulated one, but the difference is that in a regulated casino they will not extend you the amount of credit that will get you into trouble in an illegal casino. And in a regulated casino they will have information on how to get help if you have a gambling problem. In an illegal casino they will not have this type of information, they want you to continue to gamble till you have nothing left, and then they will let you fall and find someone to take your place. In the long run society can only prosper if we educate people on the dangers of gambling both online and in a casino, and not from banning an industry that employs thousands of people in countries all over the world. No one gains anything from just telling people they can not do something that they are going to do anyway. It is about time the government learned this and stopped making the same mistakes year after year.

How to avoid sneaky card charges

If you have just gotten a new card with a great rate, you might want to take another look. Although you might have secured 0% for the next 6 months, there are often a range of cleverly disguised fees and penalties to take into account. If you are unaware of them then these fees and penalties can really add up, and end up making your great deal cost you a lot of money. Here is some advice about how to identify and avoid these sneaky card charges. Removal of benefits One of the sneakiest charges is not really a charge at all, but rather a removal of the benefits that you have on your card. If you have a low APR or balance transfer rate, then you should not take these for granted. Although you might believe this deal is secured for the next 6 months as promised, this is subject to you meeting strict criteria. If you are even 1 day late with paying your bill, or go over your limit by the smallest amount, these offers can be taken away from you and replaced with a much higher APR. Although this is explained in the small print of the contract, many people overlook this and then feel the sting when their 0% credit card turns into a 20% one. Make sure that you know the conditions for keeping your deal, and then stick to them as best you can. Balance transfer charges Although some cards offer a 0% rate on balance transfers, that does not stop them charging you a handling fee for the transfer. Despite you not having to pay interest on the transferred balance for a period of time, it will cost you money to transfer the balance. If your balance is relatively low then you could be forking out a hefty percentage of the total amount. Make sure that you check the associated fees for balance transfers before proceeding. Paying off the cheapest debts Another procedure that can cost you money is the way that your card issuer pays off the balance you have. As you begin to pay off the balance, the card issuer can decide whether to pay off the higher rate part of the balance or the lower rate part. For example, if you have made a balance transfer of Ј1000 to your card at 0%, and then have Ј500 in new purchases at 17% interest, the bank is more than likely to pay off the 0% amount first so that they can make money in interest off the other amount. If you are going to get a new card, check out the way that the issuer pays off the balance, because if you can find one that pays the expensive part off first then you could save some money. Penalty fees Although your card might have low APR and a nice credit limit, if you don’t stick to making your payments on time then you could end up paying huge amounts in penalty fees. For example, if you have a balance of Ј990 on your card with a limit of Ј1000 and you don’t pay your bill on time, you could be hit with a Ј25 charge. This charge will put you over your credit limit, and trigger another Ј25 charge. Before you know it you could have paid Ј100 in charges just for being a day late with payment. Although some credit card charges are disguised well, it is important to read the contract thoroughly and check all the charges before signing anything. If you do this then you will avoid most sneaky card charges and be able to take advantage of your low rates.

Work life balance and burnout

One of the serious risks of a sever poor work life balance routine is the risk of burnout, burnout is something that can be experienced without relation to work life management, and is also related to the work load and working environment stress. There is no doubt that better work life harmony will decrease the chances of a burnout and will provide a mental safety net for anyone juggling between a demanding job and a family life. Most of the adults in our world are expected to have a family and maintain a regular family life, with the proper time invested in quality time with the children and some time with the significant other to support a healthy family life, adults are also expected to work and contribute to the financial status of the family, maintaining a career and working in a business on a daily basis. When both partners work every day, the mental cost of making the necessary adjustments and compromises in terms of work is very important, most of the compromises first claim the free and quality time that is devoted to the family life and immediately after that they turn to the career or business needs. when someone is having a hard month it usually means that something in the home environment needed more attention than usual and that created a work load in the business, once the individual got back to work he finds that the work load is impossible to deal with, and he can try and get as much as possible done in the shortest time, usually meaning he will need to work nights, and spend every waking minute trying to close the gap. This stressful situation usually results in a burnout. Avoiding reaching a burnout is not as difficult as it seems, work life balance has a lot to do with time management and life management, once you decide you will manage your time and you life better, it will be easier to maintain the work life balance you are looking for. The first thing is to admit you can not close the gap and that you need help, or at least the understanding of you business partner or supervisor, almost everyone can understand that a family sometimes deals with extraordinary situations, and that sometimes things go not as planned, ask for a few minutes talk and explain that this situation has led to a overwhelming work load and that you will not be able to finish all of it in the near future, you can even ask for advice on how to work efficiently. The other things you can do is focus on yourself for a couple of days, keep working and do your home related tasks as usual, just try and keep some kind of track on how you are feeling and if you finish your day feeling exhausted and without any energy. If you notice that day after day you feel drained you should draw conclusions, talk with your partner about decreasing your task load and consider changing your job hours or even trying to find a work that you can manage better in your life.

The two basic kinds of life insurance

Life insurance offers every consumer a way to take care of loved ones for years to come, even if he or she won’t be around to put food on the table. The basic idea of life insurance is that during an insured person’s lifetime, he or she makes monthly payments to an insurance company. When the insured person passes away, the beneficiaries of his or her policy, usually immediate family members, make a claim and the insurance company writes them a check for the value of the policy. In many cases, the amount the beneficiaries receive is higher than the amount of money the customer put into the policy. There are two basic kinds of life insurance. The first, called term life insurance, is bought for a discrete period of time at a fixed premium. It includes nothing above or beyond a basic death benefit. This is an increasingly popular form of life insurance. The second kind of policy, known as a whole life insurance policy, is a bit more complicated. A customer contributes to his or her whole life insurance policy on a monthly basis for the duration of his or her life. The premiums fluctuate over time, and tend to follow a gentle upward curve as the customer ages. In addition to including a basic death benefit, whole life insurance includes an investment component that is meant to help the customer grow his or her wealth. This makes whole life insurance substantially more expensive than term life insurance, but many people argue the increased fees are worth it because you get more for your money. How much life insurance you need has quite a bit to do with how much you can afford to spend on a life insurance premium each month; but it has equally as much to do with how much coverage your family’s lifestyle and situation requires you to have. It is a good idea to try to provide your beneficiaries with a policy that will offer them enough to cover your funeral expenses and to continue to meet their living expenses for as long as possible without facing financial hardships. There are multiple worksheets available online that can help you make an educated estimate as to how much coverage you should aim for, but it is crucial that you discuss your situation with an experienced and trustworthy professional before you make any firm decisions about what kind of life insurance policy to purchase.

Roulette trivia

The Great British Pub Quiz and the American show Jeopardy have a lot to answer for - they are both responsible for the retaining of highly useless yet highly interesting bits of trivia; information that you would never need in normal life. However, which of us haven't at some point uttered the words, “well, it'll come in useful for a pub quiz”, or something akin to that. It is for this reason solely that I have chosen to pick a few of my favorite pieces or roulette trivia to share with you - use them wisely. Did you know that the roulette wheel was invented by the French inventor Blaise Pascal. Pascal was actually trying to create a perpetual movement machine, but ended up with the roulette wheel - not a bad rap. The double 00 position found on American Roulette Wheels were added only when roulette found its way to the United States of America. Previous to this the wheel only had the single 0 position, but the American casino owners didn't feel that the house had enough of an edge with this and so added the extra position. The chap that added the original one 0 position was named Francois Blanc; he was also responsible for setting up the first casino in Monte Carlo. It was rumored that in order to learn the secrets of roulette Mr. Blanc actually made a pact with the devil. The evidence lies in the wheel itself: If you add all the numbers of the board together you come to the sum of the devil, 666. Row 5 is the worst row to bet on; statistically speaking row 5 is the least likely row to win. One of the most impressive recent wins was by an English man called Ashley Revel who sold everything he owned in 2004 and went to a Las Vegas Casino. He put down the sum of all of his possessions, $135, 300, on a double or nothing bet. He bet on red, and red came in - he left with double his money! Also in 2004, a group of 3 were accused of winning over 1,000,000 GBP by illegal measures in a London casino. The casino charged the group with using mobile phone and laser technology in order to predict the falling of the ball. The case was taken to court and the casino lost - the group kept all of their winnings. Einstein apparently commented that “you can't beat a roulette table unless you steal from it”. Roulette has played a part in many a flick, the most famous of which being James Bond's 'Diamonds are Forever', and of course Casablanca where we found our hero, Rick, fixing the wheel for a destitute client to win big and be able to escape to America. Hope this comes in handy!

Myspace surveys general

MySpace surveys are a fun and a creative means to spice up your profile or blog. Surveys can be found almost in every category, and generators are available to help you creating your own MySpace survey. The next section will talk about MySpace surveys and describe on how to add a survey to your profile or blog. It’s a great way to express with MySpace surveys and also a best means for your friends find out more about you. Pre-made surveys in every category are also available, from "About Me" to "First and Lasts" surveys. "About Me" surveys often include questions like: • What's Your Name? • What's Your Favorite Book? • What's Your Favorite Color? "First and Lasts" surveys include questions like: • Who was the first person you kissed? • Who is the last person to hug you? • What was the last thing you took a drink of? By browsing the World Wide Web you may discover other categories of surveys that are available. Type "MySpace Surveys" on your favorite search engine, this will produce a list of possible web pages that has a MySpace surveys available for your use. Where to Put a MySpace Survey The moment you find the suitable MySpace survey for you, you choose where to place this. Posting your survey on a bulletin will give a chance that not all of your friends will read it. Some members seldom read their bulletins, or making it their least priority. To make your MySpace survey visible to everyone who checks your profile, perhaps post this into your “About Me” section. This ensures that all of your friends will view your survey and perhaps reply it. How To Insert a MySpace Survey In a Bulletin or Into Your Profile It is so easy to post your survey into a bulletin, just copy your entire survey, including the question and answers then paste it into a new bulletin. Give your bulletin a suitable title to attract them to read it. Practice adding invitation for your friends to take the survey on your bulletin. Post your survey on your MySpace profile to let everyone see. After completing MySpace survey, there will be a code given to you. Copy and paste this code in the "About Me" section when by editing your profile. Save the changes and your survey will show up.

Buy to let mortgages long term investment on the concrete structure

Buy to let mortgage market was worth Ј21.8 billion in 2004 and accounted to 38.2 % of commercial market in the same year. The buy to let market has grown more than any market as a whole – which is remarkable. Such a strong market spells nothing but benefit to mortgage hopeful. Buy to let mortgage was a constructive effort by The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) to encourage growth in the private rented sector. Buy to let mortgage is a specialized product for a special mortgage product. However, there is little difference between this and other mortgage products. If you understand the various details of buy to let mortgage, there is no way that you won’t be successful in your attempt. Every buy to let mortgage will undergo the usual mortgage guideline. The lender will check your credit worthiness, value of your property, the amount of down payment before he approves your buy to let mortgage. Buy to let mortgage have emerged as an increasingly popular mortgage in last few years. They are marked lower interest rates and have added to their attraction. Also rental income is more dependable form of income than other investment forms. The Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA) operates a buy to let scheme which is supported by a group of lenders. There are other buy to let mortgage lenders who operate outside the scheme and you don’t have to go through any ARLA agent. A buy to let mortgage lender would ask for your rental details along with your income. There are some mortgage lenders who will allow you to add your rent to the salary, while other will base the buy to let mortgage entirely on the rent. Any previous mortgage will have a say in what you can borrow with buy to let mortgage. Different lenders will have different criteria which apply also for the amount you can borrow. The maximum that you can borrow will be anywhere between Ј150,000 to Ј1m per property. Buy to let mortgage can be taken on more than one property with maximum up to 5 properties. But more than one buy to let mortgage would not be possible on the same property. Buy to let mortgage lenders usually lend 85% of the property value. Buy to let mortgage entails down payment. The down payment varies from 15%-25%. The larger down payment you can avail the better deals. There is a little variation in the rates of buy to let mortgage and other mortgages. The rental income formula varies but usually rental income should be 130%-150% of total monthly repayments. The interest rates offered for Buy to let mortgage are fixed, variable, capped, tracker, capped, discounted. According to the inclination of the borrower, any interest rate type can be applied for. Always ask for quotes and compare. This will enable you to sort out buy to let mortgage that corresponds with your expectations. Research is fundamental in every loan process including buy to let mortgage. Buy to let mortgage is a secured loan which means that it is secured on your property. Late repayment will show in your credit report and inability to repay can lead to loss of property. Think before you apply for buy to let mortgage. First check affordability and then apply for buy to let mortgage. Since it is a long term investment, you have to be careful about making payments on time. Since you have rental income, it will enable you to payments during difficult circumstances. You can take deposit form tenants to make prevent making arrears. We good record with buy to let mortgage will open doors for more investment as buy to let. Before Buy to let make sure which property you are buying and whether it is compatible with the area. The neighbourhood should be such where there is considerable scope for letting it out. Plan out how much you are ready to pay for the property, keeping in mind expenses like down payment, stamp duty, evaluation fee, solicitor’s fee and other expenditure like remodeling to enable anticipated usage. A few years ago buy to let mortgage was something which would cost you higher interest rate, larger down payment and expect large penalty for changing mortgage. However, the buy to let orientation has changed considerably. Buy to let mortgage has considerably moulded itself to become more consumer friendly. In such a stable mortgage market, there is great scope for expansion.

Seo linking 200 new good directories

Summary: Are article directories the new SEO link directories? As 1990s-era link directories fade into relative irrelevance, article directories offer new opportunities for one-way inbound links. There are currently about 200 of these directories, none of which charges a fee. Article Directories: The New Web Link Directories? We are witnessing a new explosion in web directories that are actually worth the investment in time to submit to them. No, not link directories--their time has passed for good. The new directories are article directories. What Are Article Directories? Article directories are sites such as isnare and goarticles, which aggregate large numbers of articles into massive, categorized databases. Most of them act as clearinghouses for reprint content, encouraging visitors to add the content to their own sites. The articles are screened for basic indicators of quality and relevance before being posted. The articles each have an author's resource box, an "about the author" paragraph at the end of the article. The directories allow authors to include a link, and often, multiple links, in the resource box. I personally know of about 200 such directories that will accept articles on any topic--with a live link and without charging a fee. There are at least as many specialized directories that limit themselves to business-only articles, women's issues, technology, etc. All you need is a single good page of well-written content--and if your site doesn't have that already, you probably should give up your web ambitions right now. Article Directories' Linking Advantages * Anchor text. About two-thirds of the article directories allow for the author to select the anchor text of the link in the author's resource box. This is the primary value of the links from the article directories. The article directory pages usually have PR 0; some have PR 1-3. Fortunately, anchor text is often a deciding factor in ranking for non-competitive search strings that make up as much as half or more of all web searches. These links may also help a site that already has competitive PageRank but is getting beaten in the SERPs for want of anchor text relevance. * Relevant links. The links are at least as relevant as links from link directories. The page on which the link is located is categorized within the site according to topics such as automotive, technology, decorating, or sports. Since most of the directories use the article title as the webpage title, you can even assure that the title of the webpage with your link has your target keyword. * Traffic. Click-throughs on the links in the author's resource boxes bring traffic, particularly in the early days after the article is submitted. * Reprints. Clearinghouse websites that offer articles for reprint pack the double advantage of a link on their site and a link on any site whose webmaster chooses to reprint the article. In reality, few articles get reprinted since the competition for reprints is fierce. Moreover, fewer than a dozen of the 200-odd article directories actually get many reprints. The market is dominated, as most web markets are, by the best established sites. * Mindshare. A click-through from a traditional link is just another visitor. But someone who has read a page of content from your site and clicked through the author's resource box link is generally a highly qualified visitor who has been partly sold on the value of your offering. Meanwhile, even readers who do not click-through have been exposed to your message. You can help shape the market, building awareness of your product or service. In short, article directories offer just about everything the web link directories used to, and more.

Implication of the lunar eclipse march 3 2007

We will have the first lunar eclipse of 2007 on March 3 at approximately 1120 GMT. This eclipse will not be visible in most of the United States. On the East Coast of the United States the penumbra will be visible. In this eclipse the sun will be in Aquarius and the moon in Leo. The sun (ego / Atman) is in place of self-doubt, leading to humility (Aquarius). The moon (Heart / emotions), is in place of self-confidence and projection (Leo). Yet both of these energies are eclipsed by the luminaries. We are being challenged to universalize our personal power, and orient our consistent actions toward a goal that is beneficial to all. Maintaining our self-esteem and a healthy emotional outlook while willingly subjugating our personal desires is being tested. This brings many possibilities in romantic relationships, because much of the time it is our selfish nature that eclipses our partner’s needs, and the relationship itself. In this eclipse, the ego is being eclipsed in the sign where we doubt our personal power, seeking humility. The nurturing and tender heart is being eclipsed in the sign where we generally assert our individual power. Culturally, this eclipse is a foreshadowing of the next six months, where we will be tested to subjugate our personal needs for more progressive causes and humanistic ones. Perhaps we will finally decided not to eat animals simply because they taste good — perhaps we will decide that we can actually ride our bike or walk somewhere rather than waste gasoline. Perhaps we will become more efficient in recycling. Perhaps we will decide the only turn the water on when we need to wash off the toothbrush, rather than leave it running needlessly, mindlessly. Perhaps will turn the light off after we leave the room, etc. Bringing complexity to this mix is a retrograde Mercury joined the sun. There are some real possibilities for communication mishaps that force these personal and social compromises. In fact, we may be seeing the effects of this placement already. Generally the entire month of an eclipse cycle begins a foreshadowing of the major themes. Notice the stock market “corrected” itself last week and most shocking of all, Brittany Spears finally checked into rehab. (Then checked out again, or at least that’s according to “People”, “Entertainment Tonight” had a different story — and yes does this mean K-Fed gets the kids now?) oh yes, perhaps we will stop paying attention to silly celebrities and there lives and start paying attention to our own life, spiritual progress and problems. This eclipse is happening with two exulted planets, Mars and Venus which also foretells in importance on personal issues for the next six months — in particular, strengthening both our masculine and feminine natures. Having the courage to know what to fight for and when (Mars) and how to fight and why (Venus) will also be issues on the table. Natural Disasters This particular eclipse also has the ominous possibility of some natural disasters. As with all full moons especially, earthquakes and seismic activity increases around these times. Notice on the south Indian chart to the right, retrograde Saturn and Mars are both very close to the eclipse axis, right next to it. If you visualize the earth in the middle of this chart, you’ll see every planet except Jupiter and Venus are either joined the sun and moon or in the adjacent sign. In this case there are three planets on one side of the earth and four planets on the other side of the earth. Each of them asserting their gravitational force in opposite directions. This gravitational force tends to open the tectonic plates in the earth’s crust, which leads to seismic activity. This weekend we could see some major seismic activity: earthquakes, volcanoes, etc.

Why become a fitness distributor

There are several advantages to becoming a fitness distributor that many people do not think about when they are selecting a career. There are many areas of the fitness industry that can offer rewarding opportunities and becoming a distributor is one of them. Let’s take a look at some the reasons why you should become a fitness distributor. One reason to be a fitness distributor is the satisfaction of knowing that you are having a direct impact on people’s lives. Not only are you having a direct impact, but you are changing lives for the better. No one can ever learn too much about fitness and the importance of the proper types of exercise. Becoming a fitness distributor is one way to make a positive impact on the community and to people around you. There is a great deal of personal satisfaction knowing that you are making a positive difference in the world around you. In the fitness industry there are many different types of products that you can distribute to. The great thing is that many products compliment one another and make for even strong distributor potentials. The fitness industry is not just a matter of selling and distributing fitness equipment, you can also do media products, supplemental products, clothing, accessories, and even more! This is a very fast paced and booming industry to be in. You get to be your own boss for the most part as a distributor. You will have to meet your monthly quotas and report to your supervisor. But at the same time, you are able to set your schedule for clients to show products to. You decide which days you go and hit the market and which days you stay in the office. It is totally up to you to organize everything in the distribution business. This allows you greater freedom in your career than with other traditional careers where you report to work daily at certain times, eat lunch at a set time and clock out to go home at a certain hour. Being a fitness distributor means that you control your income. The harder you work and the more products you distribute will directly result in a larger paycheck. If you need a vacation, you can easily take the time off and then pick up where you left off when you return. If there is something special that you want to save up for and pay on, you can increase your work load and meet with more clients to have more income. At the same time, if you need a more flexible week, you can work less. You have more control over your income than with traditional jobs. Free products are a great advantage to being a fitness distributor. Many companies will give you free products to try out and to promote. Often you can purchase products at a big discount to distribute at a higher price and make even more profit. When suppliers have a new product that needs testing a fitness distributor will put you on the top of the list for fitness equipment, fitness accessories, fitness media, and more! This is a fun advantage for being a fitness distributor.

Google videos why it is so popular

Google Video: Why It Is So Popular Online video sites have rapidly increased in popularity over the past few years. One of those websites is known as Google Video. Have you ever wondered why online video websites, including Google Video, are so popular? If so, you are not alone. Despite the fact that millions of internet users enjoying watching online videos, many wonder what created all the buzz. When it comes to understanding the popularity of Google Video, there are a number of different factors that come into play. Google Video, like most other websites, has unique features about it. Those features are what brings in new internet users and keeps the old ones coming back for more. Therefore, Google Video is not only popular among first time video watchers, but ones that have been watching online videos for some time now. Perhaps, one of the greatest reasons why Google Video is so popular is because of all of the choices that internet users, just like you, have. With Google Video, you are not only allowed to watch the videos that are hosted on the site, but you can also create your own. This means that you can create your own video; on just about anything that you want, even if you do not have any formal video making experience. The good news is that with Google Video’s popularity, it is likely that your video will be viewed by thousands of internet users. In addition to the wide variety of different choices, when it comes to using the website, you also have a number of different choices when it comes to paying for it. Google Video, like many other online video websites, offers a collection of videos that are free to watch. In addition to offering videos free of charge, Google Video also has a collection of videos that you must pay for; however, they are optional to watch. These videos are often longer or have well-known celebrities in them. It is nice that you don’t have to pay for these videos, especially if you don’t want to watch them. If you would prefer to not pay for an online video, you still have a number of different choices. There should be plenty of other free videos for you to choose from. In fact, the videos that you can choose from are just another one of the many reasons why Google Video has become one of the most well known online video websites. Popular video categories include music videos, television shows, animation, movies, comedy, and sports. Additional categories are also available. In fact, there are too many categories to list. Basically, this means that you should be able to find whatever you want to watch online with Google Video. It is also important to note that the site is easy to use. There are too many online websites, including a number of popular online video websites, which are difficult to use and navigate. This is not the case with Google Video. If you are looking for a particular video, you can easily search for it or browse through all of Google’s categories. Once you select the video that you would like to watch, it will load in no time at all. After you have watched the video, you can easily rate the video, if you choose to do so, in a matter of seconds. If you haven’t already checked out Google Video, you are encouraged to do so. All of the above mentioned reasons are reasons why the website has become one of the most popular video websites online. If Google Video impresses thousands, if not millions, of other internet users, there is a good chance that it will impress you as well. Word Count 616

Music and movies download sites are they a scam

Surfing the Internet, looking for music and movies to download, you will find a lot of so called music and movie download sites. These sites do not provide you with music, or movies to download, no, they provide you with file sharing soft ware you can use to search for, and download music, movies and games. Most of them also provide you with cd burning soft ware and they have a helpdesk for those members who run in to problems with their downloading. These sites are under attack. First of all there is the entertainment industry that wants to shut them down. They claim that these file sharing programs are used to download copy right protected materials. This is true of course, but lots of people download and trade files legally on file-sharing networks. You can, for example, legally download music from hundreds of bands and thousands live concerts, as well as multiple software titles and games. File sharing has enabled music fans from around the world to build the largest library of recorded music in history. File sharing is not illegal as long as you obey and comply with all relevant copyright laws. Sharing copyrighted material without permission could be illegal in your country. In America the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) are leading the fight against the sharing of copyrighted music. Others, like Hollywood’s MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) are also starting to get involved and are taking legal action against the music and movie download sites. It will not be easy to shut down these download sites. Especially since the Internet has no borders, it will be an almost impossible task, to get all the countries in the world to agree on how to legislate Internet downloading. Another attack on music and movies download sites comes from, what I call, seasoned Internet users. They claim these download sites are a scam, because they charge for something you can get for free. Well, you could get it for free, that is true. These download sites provide you with soft ware to search for and download files from the Internet. They provide you with soft ware to burn these files on a cd should you wish to do so. All this software is available for free on the Internet, but for an Internet novice it could be a daunting task to look for this kind of soft ware, to decide which soft ware to use, how to use it. On top of that they have to make sure that they do not download spy ware, ad ware or what ever. Joining a download site and have all the info in one place is not a bad option for most of them. Another advantage is the fact that these download sites provide a help desk for their members. Is it a scam if you provide info that people could get for free elsewhere? Consider this. You are looking for a telephone number, so you look it up in the phone book. Say you do not have the right phone book, you can go out looking for it. You probably can find this free info in the library. You can also pick up the phone and ring an information service. They will provide you with this free info and they will charge you for it. So, is this information service a scam? I do not think so, and I also do not think that the music and movies download sites are a scam. Provided of course that they tell you what you can expect from them before you sign up with them, and that they deliver on this promise If you want to join a download site, chose one that gives a guaranty that you can have your money back if not satisfied. Once you have joined, test out everything, especially their helpdesk. If you have no questions, ask them a few things you know already, just to test their response. And last but not least, do not hesitate to charge back your money if you are not completely satisfied. Happy downloading!

Throwing a baby shower your guests will remember

Are you in charge of planning a baby shower? Do you need a baby shower theme? Decorations? Favors? This guide will give you baby shower ideas, whether you are a sister, friend, or coworker. Baby Shower Themes The first and most difficult thing to do when planning a baby shower is to decide on a theme. After this has been finalized, much of the rest of the shower will plan itself. There are several ways to pick a theme. A baby shower theme can relate to the mother-to-be and what she needs. It can be a color, a nursery theme, or a specific type of item. For instance, if the nursery is decorated in flowers, the theme could be "A Baby's Garden." If it is decorated in a sports motif, the theme could be the parents' favorite sports team. All the gifts would then coordinate with the room. If the nursery is painted with frogs, the theme could be "Green." This way, the guests can be a little more creative in their giving. Or the theme could be "Bedtime," prompting guests to bring pajamas, blankets, and crib items. For a second (or third, or fourth) time mother, the theme can be really creative. For someone who already has almost everything they need, a theme such as "Reading," in which everyone brings books for the baby (and maybe for the older children as well) would be a nice change of pace. Some people do not like to attend showers for second time mothers, because they feel that they have already received what they needed for their first child and are just being greedy. If you feel this may be the case for your guests (such as a group of coworkers), throw a baby shower in which the invitation clearly states not to bring a present. Or spend some money on a nice gift (for instance, a gift certificate to a restaurant, spa, or hotel), and ask that guests bring a specific item (diapers, specific baby food) in exchange for a raffle ticket. They can even bring as many items as they would like in exchange for several tickets. That way, people who wish to be generous can still give the mother-to-be a useful gift, and no one feels obligated to bring anything. At the end of the night, raffle off the prize. Some other theme ideas include: Look What the Stork is Bringing Noah's Ark (good for a shower where the guys are invited too!) Alphabet Soup Blue is for Boy Baby Shower Decorations The decorations should flow from the theme. A color theme is the most flexible and inexpensive, although a specific theme such as "Teddy Bears" will be easy, as you can buy coordinating tablecloths, plates, and napkins. Keep the decorations simple. Put a nice tablecloth under the cake and spread some confetti rattles around it. Tie some balloons to the buffet or appetizer table. Add some pastel streamers across the living room, and you're done. After all, the focus should be on the mother-to-be. If you are having the shower at work, the decorations can be even easier. Simply put the cake under a white tablecloth and add a bouquet of balloons. A lunchtime event is perfect for the office. Many of the baby shower ideas will work for any location, indoors or out. Baby Shower Favors After the shower, give your guests something to remember it by. Candle holders in the shape of a baby item, such as a rattle or booties, are popular and easy to find online or in a party supply store. Other favor ideas include magnets or candies in a pretty gift box. Of course, let the favors flow from the theme. At "Tea Party" themed baby shower, guests might receive tea cups and saucers. At a "Pamper Party," an idea increasingly popular for mothers who already have several children and therefore most of the stuff they actually need, they might take home spa accessories such as a loofah or bubble bath. Baby Shower Schedule Typically, a baby shower will last approximately two hours. If a full meal will be served, be sure to indicate this on the invitation so guests can plan accordingly. Usually, however, some light appetizers, punch, and cake are all that is needed. The following is a general idea of a schedule. As your guests arrive, serve them some appetizers, and let them sign a guest book. One idea is to make this an advice book, allowing each guest to write down one piece of advice they would give the new mother. Serve simple appetizers. Two to three dishes is best, along with some cheese, crackers, chips, dip, and fruit. Some ideas for munchies that are easy and can be made ahead of time include: Deviled Eggs: Add salsa and cheddar for a Mexican twist! Stuffed Mushrooms After all your guests have arrived, begin with everyone introducing themselves. This is especially important if this is a mixed shower, with coworkers, friends, and family. Make sure everyone mentions how they know the mother-to-be. Next, play one or two games. These will serve as icebreakers. Some ideas include: Baby Boggle - See how many baby related words guests can make in three minutes from a sentence such as "I can't believe [Mother-To-Be's Name] is going to have a baby!" or something else silly and fun. Everyone reads their list, crossing off duplicates, and the person with the most remaining wins. Baby Box - Place some common baby items (rattle, diaper) in a box. Cut a small hand-sized hole in the side. Give each guest 20 seconds to touch as many items as they can (no peeking!), then have them write down what they felt. The person with the most correct wins. Remember, short is good, and have fun! If there is going to be a full meal, now is the time. Generally, a buffet is best, as the guests can eat while the mother-to-be opens her gifts. If there is not going to be a full meal, give everyone some time to get another round of appetizers, then have the guest of honor open her presents. After the gifts are open, serve the cake. At this point, the shower is over. Everyone will socialize for as long as they'd like, and the guests will begin to leave. If the time is important (i. e. the host has somewhere she needs to be), be sure to put an end time of the invitations. Hopefully this gave you enough baby shower ideas to begin brainstorming. Remember to have fun, and you'll throw a successful baby shower.

Cheap home loan

Cheap Home Loans: What is an APR? "APR" is one of the most misunderstood terms in the world of home mortgages. While you might know that it means "Annual Percentage Rate", you may not know that it includes more than the interest rate. APR is a figure used to determine the yearly cost of a new home loan including all other fees like points, origination fees, and lending fees. A lot see this as something hidden yet it is a clear amount being paid on mortgage. Years ago, it was hard to determine the total cost of a home mortgage without reading all of the fine print or using a sophisticated mortgage calculator. While one lender might offer you a 7.50% interest rate and another offers you 6.00%, the better deal isn't so obvious. Overall, the 6.00% loan could be much more expensive with all of additional fees. The federal government requires lenders to quote APR because loans frequently are offered on different terms. To extend the inevitable fruit analogy, differing loan terms from different lenders can make it hard to figure out which offer is a sour persimmon and which is a real peach. APR helps you identify the peaches. APR's are Your Friend To address deceptive marketing tactics, the federal government enacted the Truth in Lending Act, which required that lenders advertise and make explicit the Annual Percentage Rate associated with their new home loans. The upshot is that APRs are your friend; they allow you to compare offers from different lenders on a level playing field. However, the APR system is not perfect. In some cases the Annual Percentage Rate won't include extra fees such as title insurance and appraisal. In general, the best method for loan shopping is to ask for a good-faith estimate, which details all costs and gives you a total estimated cost of the loan using a mortgage calculator. APR takes into account some costs of getting the loan, including points, most loan fees and mortgage insurance. It does not take into account certain charges, including non-refundable application fees, late payment charges, title insurance premiums, and fees for title examination, property appraisals and document preparation. Home Loans - Do Your Research The important thing to remember is that the APR is a good basis for comparison between new home loan offers. When you get further in the process, you can dig deeper to get yourself the best deal possible.

Effective hypnosis quit smoking methods

Hypnosis quit smoking methods maintain caused quite a stir in the medical world over the last two decades. There is a lot of argument pertaining to whether or not hypnosis quit smoking treatments are actually useful in the long-term. Nonetheless, there has been much research conducted concerning the treatments, and the agreement is that hypnosis treatments are just as effective as any variant stop smoking product. I am not discouraged, because every wrong attempt discarded is another step forward. Thomas Alva Edison. Whether you have been smoking since your adolescence or if you just became genuinely addicted, hypnosis quit smoking treatments can assist you get on top of the intense cravings that most persons experience when they try to quit smoking. The process of hypnosis to support stop smoking involves a hypnotherapy’s who guides the patient into a heightened condition of awareness that is also a dreamlike state. In this state of perception, the patient is highly susceptible to suggestions. The hypnotherapies will suggest a variety of phrases that help to cut down the patient's cravings and reliance on cigarettes. Many therapists claim that the pressure reduction brought about via hypnosis is the primary explanation why it works. Patients feel less stress and are therefore less likely to use cigarettes as a means to reduce stress throughout the day. Though hypnosis quit smoking methods do appear to travail in the short term, there is still much debate pertaining to the long-term effects of the treatments. For example, hypnosis can help some person stop smoking for a few months, but after the treatments are finished, it may be hard for a patient to continue to thwart the drive to smoke. However, hypnosis is still considered one of the most popular commonplace stop smoking aids. Because it does not include prescription or nicotine supplements, it is one of the healthiest ways to quit smoking. There are typically a few hypnosis quit smoking clinics in most metropolitan areas. For instance, Atlanta hypnosis quit smoking clinics are scattered all over throughout the city. With regular stop smoking methods gaining more and more approval, hypnosis is becoming one of the more common ways to obtain quit smoking support. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step. Lao-tzu, Tao-te Ching. When you are trying to quit smoking, hypnosis quit smoking methods and alternate ways to help yourself quit are only as productive as your willpower allows them to be. You have to be ready to give up smoking before even the finest quit smoking way will work. Quit smoking tips can only go so far when it comes to reducing your cravings. You must be ready to fight your urges in order for any quit smoking aids to be useful. However, if you are resolute to quit smoking, you can use any figure of stop smoking products to help you along on your journey toward a smoke-free lifestyle. From natural to medical alternatives, you are never by oneself while you are trying to quit smoking.

Hip hop abs ultimate abs workout or infomercial scam

Here we go again, yet another infomercial promising flat, sculptured abs without having to do ‘painful’ crunches or sit-ups. So, what’s the deal? The Hip Hop Abs package comes with four DVDs, a 30 day workout calendar and 24/7 ‘online support’ (somewhat misleading as the ‘expert’ support is limited to forum exchanges with other users and the occasional live chat with Shaun T. Unless you download the DVDs from the internet you will have to pay $60, plus shipping and handling. The target groups of this workout program are evidently women and gay men, like Shaun himself. Straight males might be somewhat irritated by his constant chatter (although you can turn up the volume of the music over the talk) and the way he moderates the program. The Hip Hop moves shown on the DVDs are nothing you can boast with at a club, so if you want to learn real moves, I suggest you take Hip Hop classes at your local gym instead. The most important thing you have to know is that, in order to get tight, strongly defined abs, nothing beats bicycle manoeuvre, captains chair and crunches on an exercise balls, as recently proven again by a study conducted at the University of San Diego. So, if sexy abs is your only goal, if you can motivate yourself and eat healthily, just do one of the aforementioned three exercises every day and you will get a better result than with anything sold through an infomercial. So, what is the Hip Hop Abs workout good for? Check out these Pros and Cons: Pros: Doing the moves shown on the exercise DVDs sure beats sitting on the couch and just watching the tube. If you do it right, work up a sweat and actually get your heart rate up, you can lose weight; especially if you stick to the diet plan that comes with the package. It can make sense to add it to your daily routine and you can get a nice endorphin boost. Depending on the type of person you are, you might have a good time watching the Shaun T working his sexy body up into a sweat and listening to his talk. In that case the short workouts will fly right by. Cons: The key problem with Hip Hop Abs is that it is not the ultimate workout for your abs. The ‘standing crunch’ advertised as the core movement is in no way as effective as cycling, the captain’s chair or real crunches. A muscle shortening by bending slightly as shown in Hip Hop Abs does not stimulate you abs and make them grow bigger and stronger. This is one clear point where the people selling the product are trying to mislead you. Hip Hop Abs is not a cardio vascular exercise. If you are in halfway decent shape, the workout routines of Shaun T won’t make you break out in a big sweat. With time you get used to the drill and as your muscles adapt and your movements become more efficient your body will be less and less challenged. In order to challenge it more you will have to ‘upgrade’ to the advanced workouts, which basically means buying more stuff from them. The moves are not for everybody and take some time getting used to. It is in no way real Hip Hop what you are learning there. Additionally, the music and Shaun T are not for everybody, which is fair enough. ‘Testimonials’ claim to have used the product and to have lost as much as 3 inches on their hips in as little as three days. Such a weight loss in such a short time is not only highly unlikely, but were it true would it be everything else but healthy. Don’t buy the product and expect to look like Shaun T after a few weeks. In many forums people complain about the customer service delivered by Hip Hop Abs and about being overcharged or receiving stuff they didn’t actually want to buy. If you are set on buying the product, use pay pal or make sure you don’t get scammed or overcharged for stuff you never wanted. . Conclusion Now, is Hip Hop Abs the ultimate abs workout or a total scam like other products advertised in infomercials? The answer is: neither. If dancing is your thing, if you think this looks like a fun way to lose weight and if you are willing to spend the money, then by all means do it and give Hip Hop Abs a shot. If it gets you off the couch and makes you exercise every day, if it makes you change to a healthier diet and makes you feel better about yourself, then it is worth it. If you are looking for the best way to build your abs, you should stick to the scientifically proven methods. Doing real abs exercises might burn a little, but how sweet is that pain if it actually delivers results that can be measured. Furthermore, Hip Hop Abs is not a suitable cardiovascular exercise since it is neither progressive nor adaptive. If you want to build up a real sweat, rather go for a run or use the cardio machines in your gym. That will make you lose weight faster and you can track your own progress better.

Understanding how to get the best car finance deal

Finding your ideal car is the easy part, finding the best car finance deal to pay for your new car can be a nightmare especially if you know very little about the subject. Luckily there is an option which is available to everyone which makes life a lot easier when it comes to getting the best car finance deal possible and that is to go online with a specialist website. Not only will a specialist site be able to find you the cheapest loan but they will also be able to offer you great advice regarding loans, one of the most confusing matters when it comes to car loans is the technical terms which are used; a good website will give you this information in plain English. One of the biggest factors that you do have to take into account even when going with a specialist is to make sure that you can afford a loan in the first place. While this is only common sense some thought should be given as to how much you want to borrow up to a maximum, how much you can afford to pay back each month on the loan and whether you prefer a fixed rate or variable rate of interest on the loan. When taking the cost of the loan into account don’t forget one very important point and that is the cost of the car for its running and maintenance. Factors to take into account here include the amount of petrol it will cost to run the car, how much the insurance will cost per year and also the road tax, all of these things will have an impact on your income and outgoings. Loans and interest rates do vary from lender to lender and of course a specialist will realise this and are able to use their expertise to find you the best interest rate along with taking any other offers into account when getting you the best car finance deal.

Affordable consumer electronics and goods for the small business

As a small business owner, you probably know what a hassle it can be to shop for electronics and other business goods. You need products that are dependable, affordable, and easy to useputers, office equipment, mo bile phones, and many other business necessities are available both online and off-line, so you have many options to consider. Tips for In-Store Buying When shopping for electronics or computers at a local store, compare brand names, features and pricing carefully. Sometimes a low price means sacrificing the quality or features you really need. For instance, if you're planning to buy a computer desk, consider the design of the desk and all its features. Does it have drawers or shelves to make organization easy? Does it have a pullout keyboard or a desktop keyboard? Also, consider the size of the desk and the quality of its materials (steel, solid wood or particle board). When buying a computer, consider brand name, size of the hard drive and memory, as well as any pre-installed software it may contain. Avoid buying computers that have "advertising" menu bars pre-installed on the Windows screen. These tend to hang up often and are not worth the hassle although they are usually lower in price. Look for reputable brand names such as Dell, Pentium, Acer, and Compaq. Dependable laptops are available from these companies: Dell, Averatec, Compaq, HP Pavillion, Acer, Gateway, and IBM. Avoid rebate offers. Rebates are often more trouble than they're worth, and your name might get added to hundreds of mailing lists! Instead, shop around for a great value up front to get the PC or laptop that will meet your needs. Refurbished Products With refurbished electronics or computers, find a reputable company that has a good standing with the Better Business Bureau. Some companies will advertise refurbished items, but will not follow through with a guarantee. Before buying a refurbished item, check for a guarantee and do a little research on the company to find out if other customers were satisfied with the products and service. If buying refurbished computers online, use the search engines to find out as much information as you can about the company. Buying Electronics and Computers Online Shop around online for great bargains on brand name electronics and computers. If you're pressed for time, there are discount home electronics online superstores that carry almost everything you'll need for your small business. Some of the products you might find include cables, office equipment, TV and video accessories, scanners, GPS, power protection products, mobile phones, digital recorders, formatted diskettes, CDs, and more. Online electronics stores for small business can offer you better prices because they have few overhead costs when operating on the Web. You can usually expect to save up to 20% on items. You'll find shopping online to be a great time-saver because you can shop from your home or office without visiting busy stores. Use these tips to find electronics, computers and other products for your small business at great prices without sacrificing quality.

Bittersweet when bad comes along with the good

In life, there are cycles of good and bad. Times when our lives seem joyful and easy, and times when we're struggling through what seem like endless difficulties. Then there are times when the two seem to co-mingle. These are the times I call bittersweet. Perhaps you've had a bittersweet period in your own life? Usually it begins with something wonderful, followed immediately by something awful. You get a great promotion at work, then your spouse loses his or her job. Or you finally start making progress on your new fitness regime, and you pull a muscle, putting you out of commission for a week or two. A new baby is born into your family, and then a loved one passes away suddenly (or sometimes not so suddenly). Currently, I find myself in a bittersweet period of my own. My husband and I recently purchased our first home. This has been a dream of ours for years, and we've worked hard to make it happen. Finally the dream came true, and we moved into our new home less than two weeks ago, eager to begin a new phase of our lives. Then the hammer dropped. In the same week, we received news that two family members have been diagnosed with cancer. My husband's uncle, and my mother (who also just moved into our new home with us). During the years I'd fantasized about what it would be like to have our dream of homeownership come true, I never expected a dark shadow to be cast over the joy of our new situation. Somehow, I thought it would be smooth sailing once the hard work was done and we achieved our goal. For the first few days after we received the bad news, I felt somewhat indignant toward the powers that be. Why now? Why couldn't we just enjoy the experience of our new home ownership, and deal with the bad stuff later? Yes, I admit, such thoughts are selfish, not to mention futile. Life doesn't work like that, and the universe doesn't revolve around our wishes. There will always be difficulties to work through, regardless of what else is happening in our lives at the time. We simply have to carry on, because there is nothing else to do. Still, I felt like a petulant child, pouting because pain, fear, and uncertainty had chosen this moment to knock on our door. A few nights later I was feeling restless, unable to concentrate on anything. I was afraid for my loved ones, worried that the cancer may have spread, wondering what was going to happen. Finally I decided to sort through some still-unpacked boxes to take my mind off my worries. It was late and the house was silent and still when I crept out to the garage. I began quietly sorting through a box of miscellaneous items when a wave of weariness came over me, and I sat down heavily on a folding chair to collect my thoughts. In the grip of despair, I reached out with my heart and mind to the universe, seeking, asking for...somethingfort? Strength? Reassurance? Guidance? I don't even know what I needed at that moment, I just reached out wordlessly from my soul, hoping to get a response that made everything all right again. Suddenly my attention was pulled to an item resting just inside the top of the box I had been sorting through. It was the corner of a greeting card I had tossed into the box in the haste of packing. I reached out and pulled on the corner of the card, and as it emerged from the box, I saw that the front of it featured a bouquet of flowers and the words, "thank you". A flood of warmth washed over me then, flowing through every fiber of my being, clearing my mind, lifting my heart, refreshing my spirit. Yes. THANK YOU! That was the answer I had been seeking. There, in the cool, quiet garage, I finally understood that the dark shadow that had been cast over our lives didn't have to blot out our joy. Do we despair when clouds blot out the brilliance of the sun? No. We simply continue on with our lives, working, playing, laughing, loving. The bitter CAN co-exist with the sweet. I realized that it's a matter of perspective, as are so many things in life. It's true that bitterness has the power to taint sweetness, but it's also true that sweetness can ease the intensity of bitterness. It just depends on which angle you focus on. Thankfully, the universe found a way to remind me that I have a choice, and I began focusing more on gratitude and joy again. The next morning, my husband and I had some errands to run, and as we drove along a street we've traveled numerous times, I saw a side street that I'd never noticed before. I glanced up at the sign and saw that the street name was "Bittersweet Lane." Honestly, it didn't look like a bad place to live. :-)

Manage your project on time every time

As both an active project manager and a project management trainer, people often ask me what are the fundamental aspects to successful project management. Whilst there have been many great books written on the subject, I always summarise what I believe to be the best practices at the heart of good project management. Define the scope and objectives For any project to be successful you need to understand what the project is supposed to achieve. Suppose your boss asks you to organise a campaign to get the employees to donate blood. Is the aim of this to get as much blood donated to the local blood bank? Or, is it to raise the profile of the company in the local community? Deciding what the real objective is will help you to determine how you go about planning and managing the project. The project manager also needs to define the scope of the project. Is the organisation of transport to take staff to the blood bank within the scope of the project? Or, should staff make their own way there? Deciding which activities are within the scope or out of scope of the project has a big impact on the amount of work which needs to be performed during the project. An understanding of who are the stakeholders is also crucial if you are going to enlist their support and understand what each person expects to be delivered from the project. Once you've defined the scope and objectives, you will need to get the stakeholders to review them and agree to them as well as agreeing who should be on the list of stakeholders. Define the deliverables To achieve the desired outcome from the project, you must define what things (or products) are to be delivered by the end of the project. If your project is an advertising campaign for a new chocolate bar, then one of the deliverables might be the artwork for a newspaper advert. So, you need to decide what tangible things are to be delivered and document in enough detail what these things are. At the end of the day, someone will end up doing the work to produce the deliverable, so it needs to be clearly and unambiguously described. Once you have defined the deliverables, you will need to have the key stakeholders review the work and get them to agree that this accurately and unambiguously reflects what they expect to be delivered from the project. Once they have agreed, you can begin to plan the project. Not defining the deliverables in enough detail or clarity is often a reason why projects go wrong. Project planning This is the time when you define how you will achieve the desired outcome of the project embodied within the objectives and definition of deliverables. Planning requires that the project manager decides which people, resources and budget are required to complete the project. You will need to decide if you will break up your project into manageable phases, decide which products will be delivered in each phase, and decide the composition of your project team. Since you have already defined the deliverables, you must decide what activities are required to produce each deliverable. You can use techniques such as Work Breakdown Structures (WBS) to help you to achieve this. You will need to estimate the time and effort required to complete each activity, dependencies between related activities and decide on a realistic schedule to complete the activities. It's always a good idea to involve the project team in estimating how long the activities will take since they will be the ones actually doing the work. Capture all of this into the project plan document. You also need to get the key stakeholders to review and agree to this plan. When developing the project plan, a project manager is often under pressure to produce a plan which meets the (unrealistic) expectations of some of the stakeholders. It is important here that the project manager comes up with a realistic schedule - one which he/she thinks is realistic to achieve. You will be doing nobody a favour if you succumb to pressure and agree to deliver the project in a totally unrealistic schedule. Communication Even the best made project plans are useless unless they have been communicated effectively to the project team. Everyone on the team needs to know exactly what is expected of them, what their responsibilities are, and what they are accountable for. I once worked on a project where the project manager sat in his office surrounded by big colour print outs of his latest plans. The problem was, nobody on his team knew what the tasks and milestones were because he hadn't shared the plan with them. Needless to say the project hit all kinds of problems with people going off and doing the activities which they deemed important rather than doing the activities assigned by the project manager. Tracking and reporting project progress Once your project is underway and you have an agreed plan, you will need to constantly monitor the actual progress of the project against the planned progress. To do this, you will need to get reports of progress from the project team members who are actually doing the work. You will need to record any variations between the actual and planned cost, schedule and scope. You will need to report any variations to your manager and key stakeholders and take corrective actions if the variations get too large. There are lots of ways in which you can adjust the plan in order to get the project back on track (rearrange the order of tasks, assign tasks in parallel if the variation is small, or add more staff to the project or reduce the scope if the variation is very large). All projects require the project manager to constantly juggle three things: cost, scope and schedule. If the project manager increases one of these, then one of the other elements will inevitably need to be changed as well. So, for a project which is running behind schedule to recover so it can be delivered to it's original planned schedule, the budget might be increased by employing more staff (although this invariably never achieves the desired result of reducing the time left to complete the project), or the scope will need to be reduced. It is the juggling of these three elements - known as the project triangle - that typically causes a project manager to tear their hair out in frustration! Change management All projects change in some way. Often, a key stakeholder in the middle of a project will change their mind about what the project needs to deliver. On projects of longer duration, the business environment has often changed since the start of the project, so assumptions made at the beginning of the project may no longer be valid. This often results in the scope or deliverables of the project needing to be changed. If a project manager simply accepted all of these changes into the project, the project would inevitably be delivered late (and perhaps would never ever be completed) and would inevitably go over budget. By managing changes, the project manager can make decisions about whether or not to incorporate the changes immediately or in the future, or to reject them. This increases the chances of project success because the project manager controls how the changes are incorporated, can allocate resources accordingly and can plan when and how the changes are made. Not managing changes effectively is often cited as a major reason why projects fail. Risk management Risks are any events which can adversely affect the successful outcome of the project. I've worked on projects where some of the risks have included: staff lacking the technical skills to perform the work properly, hardware not being delivered on time, the control room being at risk of flooding in a major thunderstorm and many others. Risks will vary from project to project but it is important to identify the main risks to a project as soon as possible and to plan the actions necessary to avoid the risk, or, if the risk cannot be avoided, to at least mitigate the risk in order to lessen its impact if it does occur. This is what is known as risk management. Do you manage all risks? No, because there could be too many to manage, and not all risks have the same impact. So a simple way is to identify as many risks as you can, work out how likely each risk is to occur on a scale of 1 to 3 (3 being the worst), estimate its impact on the project on a scale of 1 to 3 (3 being the worst), then multiply the two numbers together. The result is the risk weighting. A high risk weighting is the most severe risk. Just manage the top ten risks i. e. the ones with the highest risk weighting. Constantly review the risks and constantly be on the lookout for new risks since they have a habit of jumping up at unforeseen moments. Not managing risks effectively is also often cited as a major reason why projects fail. Summary So, in a nutshell, these best practices are the main things that I would expect all project managers to do. They are applicable on all projects big or small. Project management is not rocket science. Applying best practices on your project cannot guarantee that your project comes in under budget, on time and exceeds all the expectations of the stakeholders, but applying them will certainly give you a much better chance of delivering your project successfully than if you don't apply them on your project.

Antibiotics as a cure for stomach ulcer

Stomach ulcer refers to open lesions and ulcerations at the level of the stomach. Statistics indicate that more than two percent of the people in the United States are diagnosed with stomach ulcer each year and it is estimated that around eight to ten percent of these people are at risk of developing various other forms of ulcer over the years. In the United States there are approximately half a million annual cases of stomach ulcer. The disorder has the highest incidence in the male gender, and it predominantly affects people with ages over 50. Stomach ulcer is considered to be a serious disorder. In the absence of medical treatment, stomach ulcer can lead to complications such as stomach perforation and internal bleeding. There are many forms of treatment for stomach ulcer in present. However, the problem with most medications is that they only provide temporary symptomatic relief, allowing the disorder to reoccur soon after completing the prescribed medical treatment. Stomach ulcer is a digestive disorder that occurs due to physiological abnormalities (poor stomach production of bicarbonate, poor integrity of the stomach’s mucosal protective cover, inappropriate mucosal blood flow, overproduction of pepsin and gastric acid) and infection with bacteria called Helicobacter pylori. Although these bacteria are known to be a major cause of stomach ulcer, most doctors neglect this aspect and only prescribe medications for normalizing the stomach’s production of digestive fluids. Although antacids and other medications commonly used in the treatment for stomach ulcer can keep the disorder under control, they can’t overcome the ulcer completely. Unless the treatment with antacids is followed on a regular basis, the symptoms of stomach ulcer are very likely to reoccur. One of the most common medications used in the treatment for stomach ulcer is Tagamet. This ulcer drug acts by reducing the levels of gastric acid and pepsin inside the stomach. The problem with Tagamet and other antacids is that they only provide short-term effects. Most people affected by stomach ulcer experience a relapse of the disorder soon after interrupting the treatment with Tagamet. Since the underlying cause of stomach ulcer is infection with Helicobacter pylori, people with the disorder should also receive a medical treatment with antibiotics. Research results indicate that people with stomach ulcer who have been prescribed a course of antibiotics such as amoxicillin or penicillin have experienced a considerable amelioration of their ulcer. In addition, most people with stomach ulcer who have followed treatments with antibiotics have been permanently cured. Unlike antacids, antibiotics can provide long-term effects for people affected by stomach ulcer, thus minimizing the chances of relapse. A two-week course of amoxicillin is usually sufficient for overcoming the infection with Helicobacter pylori. Corroborated with antacids, antibiotic treatments can successfully cure stomach ulcers, minimizing the chances of relapse.

Commercial outdoor furniture the outdoor furniture you can count on

Are you part of a project committee that is looking for very nice and affordable commercial outdoor furniture? You have probably realized by now that when you are creating nice spaces outdoors at a local park or for your homeowners association that you have many choices when it comes to the suppliers of the items you need. You have to be careful choosing not only the furnishings, but the supplier of the furnishings. Of course you want items that will look good, but you also want items that will stand up over time and will fit your budget. You may have had the time to browse a couple of places in your local area, and found that their commercial outdoor furniture is simply too expensive for your budget. Many local companies and resources for these items can get away with charging too much for their items because there isn’t much competition. For those who want their outside furnishings right away, they have to pay the high prices or they have to go elsewhere. If you are not in a hurry to purchase the things you want, you don’t have to go with the overpriced local places, instead you can spend some time price shopping, which will allow you to get the most for your money. A great option when you are looking for outdoor furniture but aren’t sure where to get it and you aren’t sure what you need, is to put a professional designer on the job. Many designers have the connections that are needed to not only find the type of equipment you need, but many times they can receive contractors discounts or they simply have good working relationships with the suppliers. Remember when you hire a professional that the project is still yours and you should still have a say in what is going on. Many designers can get carried away, which can mean that you end up with a finished project that doesn’t mean your needs or your vision, and many times this can mean that you exceed your budget. If you want a great resource for outdoor furniture, you may want to turn to the internet for wonderful variety, great prices, and simply a convenient way to view and order the items that you do need. If you want to deal with a company that specializes in providing equipment to those that need to create or update an outside area, you will likely find the outdoorchaise website very useful. This is a company that has quite a bit of experience, many different style and pricing options, as well as a dedication to providing consumers with exactly what they need.

Two important steps to network marketing success

Copyright 2006 Mal Keenan How's your email inbox been lately? No doubt jammed packed with the latest, greatest offer promising to make you $1000s in a matter of days. Your only commitment comprises of simply signing on the dotted web page. Sounds to good to be true, right? Well, one way to make good money online is by leveraging the efforts of others but one must be careful before jumping in with both feet. It is important when comtemplating joining a network marketing program that two important things are in place. Firstly, you MUST have a product that people will buy and that you could use yourself. After all if YOU can find a use for the product then chances are your prospects will be able to do so too. Too often I have joined network marketing companies and found that the product was sub-standard or worse still, the product came a far off second to the compensation plan, setting the company up with the possibility of being labled a "pyramid scheme". Pyramid schemes focus on the exchange of money and recruitment - Sure enough it is important to signup others in order to grow out your team and increase your earnings but the product should not be so dubious that the company comes under the scrutiny of the law. You can find out more about pyramid schemes at the site below: sec. gov/answers/pyramid. htm One program, that I became involved with recently, attracted me before I even knew I could make money from promoting it. Success University offers Self Improvement courses, which is a genre that I have always been interested in. So, making a monthly payment to improve my knowledge and earning power seemed a no brainer to me. The investment seemed small compared to what I could gain, that's without taking into consideration the money earned through promoting the product to others. The above formula is just one way to check out whether the product is something that you can sell to others in good conscience. Secondly, if you want to make money from your network marketing company with the least possible effort then you must look out for a GREAT compensation plan. This folks is a no brainer - I have been a member of one particular network marketing program and in spite of the presence of a great product AND personally recruiting hundreds or thousands of members, the monthly payout was comparatively very low. The compensation plan did not significantly reward me for my efforts and subsequently I have lost interest in continuing apace. I would much rather expend the same amount of effort for greater gains. When perusing the compensation plan ask yourself - Can I start earning with the least amount of effort and more importantly will my income grow exponentially through the time and efforts of both myself and those on my team? You may also want to find out how others are earning by searching the online forums. People love to boast and if the money is being earned then you'll hear about it. Keep in mind the couple of points above when choosing a company to put your weight behind and you won't go too far wrong.

Night fishing for striped bass

Striped bass, otherwise known as stripers or rockfish, are one of Maine’s most popular game fish, attracting thousands of anglers from around the world every year. Easily recognized by the seven or eight dark stripes that run continuously along their bodies, a striped bass is considered to be one of the ultimate prizes on offer in Maine’s many saltwater fishing locations. There are many techniques used to catch striped bass, with each angler having their owned preferred method. One such method is night fishing, which has become immensely popular in recent years, especially during the fall months, with anglers reporting intense striped bass action resulting in some seriously impressive catches. As stripers migrate south during and after the fall months, they stock up on food to ensure they have the energy to make the long trip. Fortunately for the anglers in Maine, this makes them very easy targets, particularly at night time when they are known to feed most. Not only are the numbers of striped bass up at this time of year, but so are the chances of landing a trophy fish, which is why anglers from across the state pack up their bags head for the coast during the fall. Striped bass are known to be particularly sensitive to their environment, with unusually cold nights or storms known to disrupt their feeding patterns. Subsequently, night fishing for stripers is best done on a calm, clear moonlit night. As for where to fish, look for air bubbles caused by obstructions such as boulders beneath the water. Undercurrents can become quite strong at this time of year and so the fish will congregate and use any obstructions present as shelter. The best bait and equipment to use will vary depending on your preference and whether or not you are looking to land big stripers. Chunk bait, such as lumps of herring or mackerel, is known to attract striped bass, as are eels and bloodworms. In terms of equipment, medium to heavy duty reels and line is advised should you end up engaged in battle with a forty inch striper they certainly do not give up easily! Striped bass can be found up and down the coast of Maine, as well as inland in many saltwater and even freshwater locations. A handful of renowned striper hotspots include Penobscot River, Parsons Beach, Scarborough River and stretches of the Piscataqua River, though you will find most advertised striped bass locations offer excellent action at night during the fall.

Income protection insurance can help protect your financial future

Income protection insurance is a viable form of protection insurance in this day and age. The cost of living in the UK actively rises every year and yet wages and salary packages do not seem to follow suit. As a result, it is easy to fall into poverty should anything happen to a vital member of a household and they became unable to work because of unforeseen redundancy, long term sickness or accident. The cost of living allows no room for manoeuvre, so you can either afford to eat and pay your rent or mortgage, or you cannot. There is no in between. Income protection insurance can provide welcome relief in the face of possible hardship. By providing an individual with a tax-free fixed amount every month for twelve to twenty-four months,, income protection insurance can help to provide for the household and give them a degree of expendable income that would otherwise not have been possible without an income. There are many high street and specialist providers that offer income protection insurance. As the general rule dictates, it is not linked to any other policy and so income protection insurance can be sold as a standalone product. However, that is not to say that the premium prices offered by the providers do not vary greatly, because it does. An extra Ј7 per every Ј100 worth of cover or so may separate a similar policy per month, depending on who offers it and obviously their reputation for delivering income protection insurance, so it makes sense to shop around for cover. It is important to read the terms and conditions of any income protection insurance policy offered before putting pen to paper because exclusions contained within them may severely affect you and your ability to claim. Although income protection insurance policies are not designed to catch you out, failing to pay due diligence to the terms and conditions may do that for you!

Charms make perfect gifts

If you are thinking of a present to give to somebody, have you ever thought of giving them charms that they could use as a pendant or as something they could hang on their bracelets. You could include with the gift a bracelet or a necklace and then every special occasion you can give them additional charms or pendants to add or use as a substitute for the ones they currently have. These gifts will be appreciated by people of different ages and backgrounds irregardless of their gender or race. They make perfect gifts not only because they look so adorable but every charm could somehow represent a significant or important moment in their life that they could treasure as a special remembrance. I know of somebody who has a bracelet full of charms, some given by friends and some she purchased herself. The charms on her bracelet somehow reflect the different experiences and memorable moments in her life. One of her charms is a flag to constantly remind her of her heritage and culture. She has an Eiffel Tower charm to remind her of her honeymoon in romantic Paris. You could also do the same with your very own charms as well as when you give these to friends or family as a gift. You can find these trinkets in a variety of designs, shapes, sizes and style to find a perfect fit for whom you will be giving it to. You could start by buying a charm bracelet with a single or several charms and your recipient would then just add charms according to her tastes or you could give her one every time there would be any special occasion. In time the charms will accumulate that not only looks cute and attractive but would also begin to tell a story of the different memorable experiences in her life. It is important though that when you buy charms for someone that you know well the person you are giving it to so that you would have at least a general ides of what she will like. If you will be giving a man a charm or pendant for his necklace, opt to buy those that are masculine looking so that he would use it. You also have to consider the size as well as the weight of the charm. Quite often it does not look nice to have very big charm on a bracelet with small chains. Also, others don’t look good with very big charms or pendants on their necklaces especially if they have small necks. If you will be buying from the internet verify if the charm you will be buying is flat, 3d or hollow. It is imperative that you select an online store that provides products that are of quality and can provide good customer service.

Make more money part 2

In Make More Money Part One I discussed the many beliefs that prevent people from making as much money as they could from their work. Among these were contrasting beliefs such as, “my work has no value” and “my talents are a gift from God, so I should give my work away for free.” In Part 2 we discover that there are two other major categories of problems with making money. These are mainly toxic belief systems i. e. patterns of cultural brainwashing that cause people to: 1.have problems holding on to the money 2.wait for someone else to make money for them. Two common toxic belief systems that cause “I can’t hold on to money” are: •The Holiness Program that says that being Holy and doing my soul mission requires sacrifice, suffering, and misery. Popular requirements for being holy also include poverty, failure, celibacy, asceticism, martyrdom, persecution, death, loneliness, isolation, lovelessness, depression, frustration, exhaustion, illness, and pain. Ironically, poverty and failure are more likely to inhibit a person’s ability to work, be productive and make a contribution to the world than vice-versa. •The Scarcity Program that says there are only a limited amount of resources to go around. If you have money then somebody else does not, and therefore you can’t have something without hurting someone else. The guilt that this produces causes people to give away what they have, or turn down opportunities for success. Two common toxic belief systems that cause “Someone else will make money for me” are: •The Dependency program that says you can’t survive on your own, the world is a dangerous and cruel place, and therefore you must be dependent on someone else to take care of you. This pattern causes people, particularly women, to seem financially independent, but in fact they just get by rather than being really successful. •The Gender program that says women are inferior to men and need to find a man to survive. In order to do so, a woman can’t be too bright, successful, or powerful and still be attractive to men. Success Stories Samantha inherited money from her family. Suddenly she felt that she no longer needed to work and resigned from teaching. Her life began to feel meaningless and she felt guilty about having money she didn’t earn and felt she didn’t deserve. She confided that “having money ruined my life.” After clearing her Holiness and Scarcity programs she decided to use the money in the service of her soul. She renovated her home, pursued further spiritual training, and developed a wonderful relationship with a loving man who “would do anything for her.” She also went back to teaching realizing that it was an important way of making her soul contribution… she hadn’t been doing it solely for the money. Her life feels meaningful and rewarding. Marian had a successful therapy practice until she moved in with James, a nice Jewish doctor. Suddenly her case load diminished dramatically. James told her not to worry; he would support her for a while. Her motivation to market herself disappeared. When her case load didn’t increase after a year, Marian’s self-esteem started to slip while James got angry and resentful. After clearing her dependency and gender programs, Marian filled her practice and finds her work very satisfying. James is happy and feels more secure about the relationship.