Enthusiastic Ranger

Is the American Way of Life Getting in the Way of Life?. Birdie Body Language.

2005-10-28T06:29:00.000-07:00

Whether angry American workers who go on killing rampages in the workplace have gone "ballistic" or "postal", isn't it terrorism by any other name? While we fear the idea of someone poisoning our water or using lethal chemicals in our public places has anyone been on a college campus lately? There our youth are blending academic pursuits with the kind of alcohol abuse that would make all the combined pubs of Ireland and brew houses of Germany glow with a blush.

A good number of these students have lost their lives to their binges, why doesn't this qualify as a chemical attack on our youth? Or should we think of this as only just another facet of our &way of life?' Is successfully keeping prayer out of our schools while miserably failing to keep guns and drugs out of them, our &way of life'? If the answer to any of these questions is no, shouldn't we be looking for some definition for the phrase that might give it some vindication?

Although it is just a personal observation, I would challenge other Americans to make note of the fact that most people can't be faulted for asking the wrong questions, but rather they are not asking any questions at all. When is the last time you heard people asking serious questions about life in a roaring party? If the adage that "Americans play as hard as they work" is true then consider this. No one has time at work to ask life's serious questions and no one at a party has an inclination too ask.

I live in one of America's premiere party cities, New Orleans. The hub for most of the partying in New Orleans is the French Quarter and within that space is another hub called, Bourbon Street. Anyone who has lived in this city and more specifically in the Quarter has learned one thing. Eventually if you expect to accomplish anything at all or even think about accomplishing something you must move away from the hub. There is an obvious analogy here for all of America.

Perhaps the single best source to find a definition for "the American Way of Life" would come from the mouths of those who are putting their lives on the line to preserve that way of life, American soldiers. They would all gladly give you a clear definition if asked, even though they may not be aware they were doing just that. If you were to ask any soldier in Iraq or Afghanistan what he or she planned to do when they returned home again you would have your definition. Yes, the first thing they would say would be something like; I'm going to have the biggest party of my life. No one would question that; in fact most of us would lend a hand to get that party going. But no soldier would say that was all he wanted to do. As Paul Harvey would say, "and now here is the rest of the story". Depending on each individual soldier you may hear, I'm going home to marry my sweetheart and start a family, or I'm going to start my own business or finish school. Some might say they were going back to help their families or become builders, preachers, scientists, or politicians. The list is endless but it is this list that defines what we know as "the American way of Life".

The mindless pursuit of power, fame or fortune are all thought to be at the top of the list under the heading of "The American Way of Life" But let's take another look based on the answers of our own fighting men and a stern warning from the pages of the Bible. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end therof are the ways of death. Proverbs 16:25 KJV

Rev Bresciani has written many articles over the past thirty years in such periodicals as Guideposts and Catholic Digest. He is the author of two books available on Amazon.com, Alibris, Barnes and Noble and many other places. Rev Bresciani wrote "Hook Line and Sinker or what has Your Church Been Teaching You," publisher, PublishAmerica of Baltimore MD. He also wrote a book published by Xulon Press entitled "An American Prophet and His Message, Questions and Answers on the Second Coming of Christ." Rev Bresciani's website is, http://americanprophet.org

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Talky Parrot Training System

Most parrot people are aware of some of the basic body language out companions use to communicate with us. But it's usually the more negative ones! However, our buddies use a multitude of moves to express lots of emotions, both positive and negative. So, let's look at a few:

EXCITEMENT/AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIORS
Although most of these activities are associated with aggressive/defensive attitudes in our birds, they can also simply signify any excitement, good or bad - so you have to know your bird, and observe closely to differentiate between aggressive postures that mean "Stay away!" and those that simply mean "I'm over-excited!" even in a good way. (Of course, even with those you need to be careful, as an over-stimulated bird can still act out by biting.)

Eye pinning: The pupils dilate and constrict rapidly, back and forth, indicating excitement and interest. Definitely means you need to pay attention and look out.

Feather Puffing: The bird fluffs his feathers out all over, but especially the head and neck, and with Cockatoos, the crest is erect. In the wild, birds use this to appear larger, and thus be more intimidating to foes.

Tail Fanning: Especially in Amazons, the bird fans his whole tail out (like a mini-horizontal peacock), again, to appear large and "scary."

Blushing: Bare-faced birds like Macaws, allow you to visually observe the facial redness that accompanies excitement. (Actually, ALL parrots so this - we just can't see it through the feathers! Some birds blush a light pink, others (Like my Amber), go a deep red. I find babies blush more than adults, as they experience new things in the world.

Head Bowing: The bird, while puffed up, eye-pinning, tail fanning, and blushing, also lowers his head, stretching out his neck. Often accompanied by a "growling" sort of sound, or with African Greys and Cockatiels, it's more of a "hissing" sound.

Stretching/Wing Spreading: The bird raises up on tip toes, feathers and crest erect, neck stretched, wings eagle - spread -again, he's trying to look large and threatening. Often, a highly agitated bird will sway back and forth. "Flash" colors (Bright color accents under wings, crest or tail) are highly visible during this type of posturing - it's hard to miss, as this type of display is QUITE obvious!

Although aggression behaviors and excitement behaviors are similar, the good observer with a trained eye can readily tell the difference. Work on developing your observation skills, so you'll know how to best proceed. Of course, a bird coming at you, head-lowered, with an open beak, is hard for ANYONE to misinterpret!

SOLICITOUS BEHAVIORS
These include all the more passive ways a parrot asks for attention. If we ignore these, they can lead to more outright demands, such as screaming, or neurotic behaviors that become obsessive, almost ritualistic, habits such as constant flipping or circling in the cage, or toe-tapping, beak wiping, and odd looking head movements. The basic solicitous behaviors include the following:

Food Begging: Recently weaned babies often cry and "baby bob" repeatedly. They sit low on the perch, heads turned up, slightly quivering their wings, with heads bobbing rapidly. This needs to be addressed! Often, newly weaned babies revert after moving to their new home. It's a good idea to continue regular body weight checks, as anything over a 10% loss is cause for concern. I don't believe in time-table weaning, and do not feel it is inappropriate to continue, or re-start, hand feeding of young birds. Ask for guidance on how to best handle it.

Wing Quivering: The bird sits low with wings gently quivering, head out, and stretched and softly chirps to you. Some may "bob," even as adults. This is more common in females. It simply means "Pick me up! Love me!" I find it quite endearing and nothing to be alarmed about.

Leaning Forward/Looking up at you with Big Eyes: This is also a very sweet way birdies ask for some loving. They simply lean toward you and give you big, soft, goo-goo eyes! Pretty fool-proof for most birds!

Feather Puffing: Nothing like the feather puffing of aggression/over-excitement, which is stiff and rigid, this is a "soft" raising of the feathers, again, especially on the head and neck and means "Please scratch me and preen my pin feathers!" They need out help to reach those difficult spots, and it's a glorious way to strengthen your bond by preening his "pins" for him!

HAPPINESS BEHAVIORS
These are my favorites! They are also the most subtle and most often missed signals that our parrots give us. Learn to recognize them and you'll enjoy a whole new level of richness in your communications.

Tail Wagging: Often in one on one interactions, you'll see your bird give his tail a quick "fan" and a vigorous side-to-side shake. This means "I'm content, I'm enjoying myself and feeling quite relaxed!" It's always a happy sight!

Happy-Wing Tai Chi: You walk in the room, or up to your parrot, he spreads out one wing, in a big stretch, often accompanied by a full extension to the back of the leg on the same side (very graceful, martial-arts-looking). I love this one! Often, they do it at the most inopportune time, like when you're in a big hurry to put him up and get out for the day. But, this is the parrot equivalent of a big hug! It means "I'm so happy to see you! How 'ya doing?!" Don't ever rush him when he's being sooo courteous and pleasant!

"Happy Beak": It's late, he's eaten, he's played, he's cuddled, he's almost ready for bed - and you hear a funny grinding rasping sound coming from your bird. This is a total contentment, relaxed, happy behavior. I actually met someone once who professed to "hate" that sound! To me, it's music to my ears - it means my kids have had a great day and are ready to go night-night for sweet dreams!

Regurgitation: You're loving on your buddy when all of a sudden, he starts to bob, then deposits a warm gob of partially digested food onto you! Well, you've just been paid the highest compliment your parrot can pay you!! This is how parrots say "I love you madly, for ever and ever - you're mine!!" Please, don't act grossed out, or make faces, or laugh, or run away. Simply say "I love you, too!" and give him a rub!

There's lots more behaviors an postures our companion birds use to express their moods, needs, and feelings to us. When you start to pay attention to your friend'

Discover Your Personality Type Now

s many ways in which he communicates with you, you'll surely discover some special and unique ones that will go a log way in enabling the two of you to get along better, strengthen your bond, and provide insight into his own unique personality!

-----------------------------------------
Your Parrot Place
Marilu Anderson, Bird Nutrition and Behavior Consultant, (503) 771-BIRD. Marilu is a regular contributor to the Your Parrot Place Newsletter. YourParrotPlace.com - Only the Best for Your Parrot!

Free eBook!
140 pages! A compilation of parrot articles from 2000-2004.
http://www.yourparrotplace.com/ebooks/ypp2004ebook.htm

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Seven Compelling Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover. Music & Intelligence: Will Listening to Music Make You Smarter?.

2005-10-27T16:58:00.000-07:00

Seven Compelling

Police career, law enforcement, Cops, book. Critically acclaimed book leads aspiring police officers...

Reasons to Get Your Name on a Book Cover

Have you ever considered writing a book? If so, maybe you've already established firmly in mind your exact purpose for becoming an author. Your reasons may match one or more of those below. Or perhaps you could add yours to the list. Nevertheless, with some 65,000 books being published in the United States yearly, there is overwhelming attraction to joining the ranks of authors.

Reason 1: Renown- Did you know that Martha Stewart ("Entertaining"), Harvey McKay ("Swim With the Sharks Without Being Eaten Alive"), and Tom Peters ("In Search of Excellence"), were virtually unknown until they became authors? It's no wonder. Authoring a book heightens your credibility, elevates your prestige and dubs you an expert. It could open the door to television, radio, and newspaper interviews. (You will, however, have to get out there and stimulate media attention). Having a book with your name on it may also attract public speaking engagements and other business opportunities. It affords you a chance to bask in the spotlight!

Reason 2: Wealth- Certainly not every book brings its author riches, but some do. In his book, "Damn! Why Didn't I Write That?" Marc McCutcheon lists 71 titles that sold 1 million or more copies, some many more, not to mention the multitude of books that sold tens and hundreds of thousands of copies. Yours could be added to the list. Of course

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it's going to take a hot topic, an attention-grabbing title, a well-written book and some strategic marketing, but the effort is going to be worth it.

Reason 3: Legacy- Depending on how good your book is, it may be read by generations to come. Your descendants, whom you may never see, may come to know you by your work. Family photographs are fine. They show the person. A book, however, shows what's inside the person: their knowledge, findings, experiences, and beliefs. Let your book be their heritage - and a legacy for readers everywhere.

Reason 4:

A Wealth Of Information for Life Subconscious Wealth Health Mind Soul Emotion

Heroism- As a result of having read a book, people have saved their marriages, improved their health, fixed their finances, boosted their self-esteem, beautified their homes, gotten their souls redeemed, lost weight, roared with laughter, become better lovers, developed their computer skills. Books have improved businesses, inspired dreams, polished parenting abilities, brought history to life, and incited million dollar ideas. The list goes on and on. Your book is undoubtedly going to make a contribution too and it's no telling the impact it is going to have.

Reason 5: Personal Fulfillment- God put each of us here on earth for a purpose. That is, we each have unique gifts and abilities for which we cannot truly feel complete until we have used them. In setting out to have a book written, you have almost certainly developed a passion about whatever it is that you want to communicate. Good. Your passions reveal something about what your talents are. But until you actually get those words out, you may continually have that nudging. You are a unique being with something that only you can say. Have a book written and you will be well on the way to fulfilling your life purpose.

Reason 6: Adventure- Even if you, as a collaborator, are only casually involved in producing your book, the experience is an exploration into uncharted territory. It's quite likely that you and your ghost may come across amazing facts about your chosen topic that you were previously unaware of. You may unexpectedly meet people who could be valuable to your research or to the sales of your book. Even in the process of marketing a book, your tour may lead to exotic places. Being an author could very well be -- in a nutshell -- fun.

Reason 7: Economic Boost- Because a horde of people will be involved in the writing, publishing, sales and distribution of your book, you can take pride in the fact that your book is contributing to the wealth of the nation. That's especially significant in times of mass layoffs, rising taxes, and poverty. I applaud you!

There you have it - seven surefire reasons to become an author, a worthy investment in your business, your career, your life and the lives of your readers.

About The Author

E-books, software, e-mail courses and workshops for writers, authors and online marketers

Michelle McGee-Jones is a freelance business writer, marketing consultant and workshop conductor. She is the author of "The Art of Hiring Someone to Write Your Book: A Step by Step Guide to Successfully Collaborating." The book is available for $9.95 plus shipping by calling toll free 1-800-673-5771 or by ordering online at Amazon.com. Copyright © 2004 Michelle McGee-Jones. All rights reserved. This article may be freely reprinted provided this entire byline is included.

mmcgee@cseop.org

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Will listening to music make you smarter? Will learning to play a musical instrument make your brain grow larger than normal?

Questions like these ones have been popping up all over the place in the past few years, and not just in scientific journals either.

In recent times the media has been fascinated by the research surrounding brain development and music, eagerly reporting on the latest studies to the delight of the music-loving parents of young children.

But all this information - and some misinformation too - has led to generalized confusion about the role of music and music training in the development of the human brain. The bottom line is this: if you're confused by all you read about music study and brain development, you're certainly not alone.

In part, this is due to the manner in which the phrase "the Mozart Effect" has been popularized by the media and bandied about to describe any situation in which music has a positive effect on cognition or behavior.

In fact the Mozart Effect refers specifically to a 1993 research finding by Frances Rauscher, Gordon Shaw and Katherine Ky and published in the prestigious journal Nature. The scientists found that 36 college students who listened to 10 minutes of a Mozart sonata performed higher on a subsequent spatial-temporal task than after they listened to relaxation instructions or silence.

An enchanted media reported this interesting research as "Mozart makes you smarter" - a huge over-simplification of the original results.

As Rauscher explains in a later paper, the Mozart Effect was studied only in adults, lasted only for a few minutes and was found only for spatial temporal reasoning. Nevertheless, the finding has since launched an industry that includes books, CDs and websites claiming that listening to classical music can make children more intelligent.

The scientific controversy - not to mention the popular confusion - surrounding the Mozart Effect, has given rise to a corresponding perplexity for parents. They wonder: "Should my kids even bother with music education?"

In fact the answer to this question is still a resounding yes, since numerous research studies do prove that studying music contributes unequivocally to the positive development of the human brain. Other researchers have since replicated the original 1993 finding that listening to Mozart improves spatial reasoning. And further research by Rauscher

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and her colleagues in 1994 showed that after eight months of keyboard lessons, preschoolers demonstrated a 46% boost in their spatial reasoning IQ, a skill important for certain types of mathematical reasoning.

In particular, it is early music training that appears to most strengthen the connections between brain neurons and perhaps even leads to the establishment of new pathways. But research shows music training has more than a casual relationship to the long-term development of specific parts of the brain too.

In 1994 Discover magazine published an article which discussed research by Gottfried Schlaug, Herman Steinmetz and their colleagues at the University of Dusseldorf. The group compared magnetic resonance images (MRI) of the brains of 27 classically trained right-handed male piano or string players, with those of 27 right-handed male non-musicians.

Where musicians, bands \%5C\%2526 dj

Intriguingly, they found that in the musicians' planum temporale - a brain structure associated with auditory processing - was bigger in the left hemisphere and smaller in the right than in the non-musicians. The musicians also had a thicker nerve-fiber tract between the hemisphere. The differences were especially striking among musicians who began training before the age of seven.

According to Shlaug, music study also promotes growth of the corpus callosum, a sort of bridge between the two hemispheres of the brain. He found that among musicians who started their training before the age of seven, the corpus callosum is 10-15% thicker than in non-musicians.

At the time, Schlaug and other researchers speculated that a larger corpus callosum might improve motor control by speeding up communication between the hemispheres.

Since then, a study by Dartmouth music psychologist Petr Janata published by Science in 2002, has confirmed that music prompts greater connectivity between the brains left and right hemisphere and between the areas responsible for emotion and memory, than does almost any other stimulus.

Janata led a team of scientists who reported some areas of the brain are 5% larger in expert musicians than they are in people with little or no musical training, and that the auditory cortex in professional musicians is 130% denser than in non-musicians. In fact, among musicians who began their musical studies in early childhood, the corpus callosum, a four-inch bundle of nerve fibers connecting the left and right sides of the brain, can be up to 15% larger.

While it is now clear from research studies that brain region connectivity and some types of spatial reasoning functionality is improved by music training, there is growing evidence that detailed and skilled motor movements are also enhanced.

Apparently the corpus callosum in musicians is essential for tasks such as finger coordination. Like a weight-lifter's biceps, this portion of the brain enlarges to accommodate the increased labour assigned to it.

In a study conducted by Dr. Timo Krings and reported in Neuroscience Letters in 2000, pianists and non-musicians of the same age and sex were required to perform complex sequences of finger movements. The non-musicians were able to make the movements as correctly as the pianists, but less activity was detected in the pianists' brains. The scientists concluded that compared to non-musicians, the brains of pianists are more efficient at making skilled movements.

The study of music definitely affects the human brain and its development, in a staggering number of ways. But what to make of all the research, especially in terms of deciding the best course of music study or appreciation for yourself or your offspring?

A 2000 article by N M Weinberger in MuSICA Research Notes makes the following excellent point: Although the Mozart Effect may not list up to the unjustified hopes of the public, it has brought widespread interest in music research to the public. And listening to ten minutes of Mozart could get someone interested in listening to more unfamiliar music, opening up new vistas.

Irregardless of the hype surrounding the Mozart Effect, the overall academic evidence for music study as a tool to aid brain development, is compelling.

At the University of California School of Medicine in San Francisco, Dr. Frank Wilson says

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his research shows instrumental practice enhances coordination, concentration and memory and also brings about the improvement of eyesight and hearing. His studies have shown that involvement in music connects and develops the motor systems of the brain, refining the entire neurological system in ways that cannot be done by any other activity. Dr. Wilson goes so far as to say he believes music instruction is actually 'necessary' for the total development of the brain.

So the bottom line is this: Music study and practice probably does aid in the development of the brain in various important ways. And after all, if you enjoy music, there is nothing to lose by trying, and everything to gain!

Duane Shinn is the author of over 500 music books and products such as DVD's, CD's, musical games for kids, chord charts, musical software, and piano lesson instructional courses for adults. He holds an advanced degree from Southern Oregon University and was the founder of Piano University in Southern Oregon. He can be reached at http://www.pianolessonsbyvideo.com. He is the author of the popular free 101-week e-mail newsletter titled "Amazing Secrets Of Piano Chords & Sizzling Chord Progressions" with over 55,000 current subscribers. Those interested may obtain a free subscription by going to http://www.playpiano.com/

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US Research and Funding of Basic Research. 5 Tips To Choosing Your Products Carefully!.

2005-10-27T11:41:00.000-07:00

Most

Embedded Components brings your technology to the marketplace

scientists and researchers realize that we are getting behind in our studies on future technologies and sciences. In fact the problem is so well known that the Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao made mention of it at a huge meeting of the minds; with businessmen and interests in India. China and India, which have huge populations over a billion people each, now know they are the future Super Powers of the World as the Western World pisses away their current leadership position. They know that the United States and other nations no longer to have the will to fund basic research.

The United States is coasting on their dominate position, which is to their folly. This short sided attitude and budget deficits of spending on crap is costing them more than they know. Everyone knows those nations and corporations, which re-invest in technology and research will win in the future. Look at Microsoft's strategy or the United States in previous decades; the proof is evident. Yet we are not following our own best advice.

If we want to continue to be the leading super power in the world we will need to upgrade our budget expenditures for DARPA and allow for non-military technological off shoots to be transferred into industry. To do this we must up the current research spending at DARPA ten-fold and then ten-fold again in five years. It should be one of our largest expenditures. By doing so we will invest in biotech and find cures for cancer, find ways to better use energy and clean our air, water and land. If we do not we will be buying these technologies from other nations like China and India and will continue to have more outflows than inflows as our trade deficits expand.

We are at a cross roads in the United States when it comes to technology, whether we care to address it or not. If we fail to recognize this truth that does not mean our free market components and competing nations have failed to observe it. Think on this.

"Lance Winslow" - If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; http://www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs

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The greatest collection of excellent resellable products on the Internet

You have to be the expert before you even start your business. You have to know your products or service inside out. You may love a business for the product lines, but will your customers love the products too?

When problems arise with a product, or when a customer asks technical questions, are you knowledgeable enough to resolve these problems and answer their questions competently and confidently?

One way to increase your product knowledge is to contact the manufacturers or local distributor. Find out the following:

* How long have these products been on the market?

* Are they seasonal, and when do most sell?

* How ofen are these products upgraded or changed?

* Could you be caught unexpectedly with obsolete inventory?

* What do the manufacturers' warranties cover?

* Are replacement parts readily available?

* Are the products competitively priced?

If you have decided to take the plunge and be a stay at home mom/dad with an internet business, here are 5 tips that can help you become more successful. These tips have certainly helped me:

1. Choose your product carefully:

Don't just choose to sale a product because you think it can make you rich. Choose to sale a product or service because it is your passion. Choose something that you feel will make you happy in the process.

2. Make sure your product is of high value:

You need to sale quality based products or your customers will know the difference. Your goal is customer satisfaction, always!

3. Provide excellent service to your customers:

Go that extra mile for your customers. A happy customer is a healthy business. Answer emails, and/or phone calls promptly.

4. Don't Stress:

Take care of you. If you need to take time out, then do it. Come back refreshed and ready to tackle your daily activities. Success will prevail!

5. The Competition:

Competition is an ugly word, but competitors are a fact of life. If your business can't compete with other stores or services, don't start this business. You have to have some sort of an edge.

You may have an excellent product, but if everyone else is elling a similar commodity, just how much of the market can you expect to capture? You will have to get to know everything there is to know about your competition and keep up to date with their marketing strategies.

Be unique in your own style. Always come up with new ideas to present your product and improve your business. Access your competitor's strengths and weaknesses and see how you can provide new ideas for promoting your business. Best of all have fun and it will show in your business.

Sonia Colon is owner of a successful online specialty giftstore "Jimson Products".

Visit: http://www.jimsonproducts.com for a wonderful display.

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Put Your Kids Before Your Men... Always. 10 Things To Do This Summer.

2005-10-23T12:21:00.000-07:00

What

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is your definition of a "Good Mother?" Is it someone who makes up for affection by purchasing every toy in the store for your child? Or is it a simple gesture like giving your child a hug every once in a while and saying I Love You?

Children don't require much to feel loved. They only want someone who will pay attention. If you are the type of mother that's always so desperate to meet a man, and when you finally do, your child comes second in the equation, you have serious issues. The child didn't ask to come into this world. You bought them into it. Your responsibility is to keep that child safe and that does include their emotions.

You can't ignore your child when your man is around and expect them to obey you when your man is gone. It doesn't work that way. Did you respect your child when you were in your bedroom with your man, and he/she was crying because they were hungry? I don't think so. So don't expect your child to respect you when they are old enough to date and bring their boyfriends or girlfriends home into their bedrooms. What are you going to do or say? It's too late to try to raise them at this point.

Do you feel that your child owe you something in life because you carried them for nine months and went through hell with them? You really shouldn't feel that way. It's called being a parent. You are absolutely concerned with the wrong things and your thinking is backwards and distorted. Your child owes you nothing...They didn't ask to come here.

Respect yourself and your children and the rest will follow. After all, your children will be your children for the rest of your lives. That man may only be temporary.

To find out more about this author, please visit her website at http://www.monicamburns.vstore.ca or you mail email her at monicaburnsinc@yahoo.com.

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Looking for a summer project? How about working on who you are, and what kind of life you really want to live? Here's some ideas.

1. Focus on the "who", not the "what".

If you find that you've been stuck in a goal for a while, try restating it in "who" terms instead of what.

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For example, instead of saying "I want to lose 10 lbs.", say "I want to be someone who is at a healthier weight for my age." Instead of "I want to spend time with my kids", say "I want to be someone who is a devoted parent." Then ask yourself what actions would be fit with your desire to "be" instead of "get".

2. Control-ability.

Get clear on what you can really control and what is out of your control. You can't control world politics, but you can vote. You can't control terrorism, but you can be prepared in your own home. You can't control the construction crews on the freeway, but you can control how much time you allot for a trip. Knowing what you can control and exercising that, and letting go of what you can't, reduces stress related feelings immensely.

3. Be Generous.

You know you haven't worn that shirt in 2 years. Someone needs that shirt to keep warm on the streets this winter, don't let it just sit idle in your closet. Live from abundance, not lack. You'll have other shirts. Share. Feel good about yourself for helping others less fortunate.

4. Give it a home.

The biggest culprit for chronically lost items in the home or office -- keys, remote, phone, scissors, batteries -- are that they don't have a home. Just like teenagers, if you know where they are going to be, you don't have to waste time looking for them!

5. Establish routines.

While they sound boring and confining, routines are actually freeing. Instead of being worried and anxious on Monday morning wondering if your credit-card bill is late again, you'll feel calm knowing that you always pay bills on Wed. evening, so you have nothing to be concerned about. Routines take the stress out!

6. Analyze it.

Did you know that a full 80% of your problems come from 20% of your life? It's true! Determine what that 20% is that's affecting so much of your life, and start working to make it more efficient and orderly.

7. Consolidate.

Consolidate means to "merge, combine, unite, join". Look for something in your life that is scattered and consolidate -- group of small bills, hand lotions, hobby supplies. I'm using consolidate in this case to mean either to literally combine as all into one container, but also in collecting like items together. Instead of spreading your collectibles all over the house, combine them into one beautiful cabinet for impact. Consolidate toys or reading material/bills/papers by type. You'll be able to see the duplicates easily and free up some time and space.

8. Do the opposite.

If you find that you're constantly having to run to the next room to retrieve a pair of (for example) scissors, that's a clue that you need to *add* a pair where you need them. This is the opposite of consolidate. Just be careful with this one, and make sure that you really use the item enough to make it worthy of taking up the valuable real-estate in your home or office or closet.

9. Predictability

We can't know the future. No one can. But about everyday things, it's usually pretty easy to make a fairly accurate prediction of what consequences of your actions will be. A first &mistake' is simply a learning experience, finding out information that you didn't have originally. A second &mistake' is not exercising your skill of predicting. Practice predicting, and make informed choices to go in a direction you want to.

10. Assign Value.

A big mistake I see in my coaching clients is not assigning a true value to your time, to your energy, to your money, and to the "real estate" (space) of your home or office. Realize that for each thing you say Yes to -- from a pair of shoes to watching a movie -- you have said No to something else. Always ask yourself - is this *valuable* enough to me to bump something else from my closet, my schedule, my money?

Make Summer 2005 your best yet!

Professional Life Coach Kathy Gates specializes in helping people who are ready to create a simpler, less stressful, more joyful and meaningful lifestyle. Visit http://www.reallifecoach.com for information, products and services, and sign up for a free newsletter.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Baseball and the Game of Life. Coaching Can Get The Boss In Shape.

2005-10-21T15:58:00.000-07:00

Baseball and life have a lot of similarities. I know what you are thinking, yea right, it's simply a game involving a bat and a ball. What can that possibly teach us?

How to teach guitar,how to make money teaching guitar,teaching guitar

I am here to tell you what it can teach you. Not only baseball, but other sports as well.

Growing up I couldn't see the similarities with baseball and life. I simply knew that a game was on and lets go play! But as time has evolved and I have gone on to other things, only now can I reflect and look at what the game of baseball has taught me.

Baseball and life are similar. I think the first thing it taught me was personal interaction. How to deal with teammates and how to work together towards a common goal. We all wanted to win together, but we also experienced defeat together. We learned how to deal with defeat and how to rise above it. How to keep on trying every out, every game. We didn't know it at the time, but we were learning valuable skills that would carry over to other facets of our lives.

It also taught me how to deal with one-on-one situations. You against the pitcher in the batter's box with the game on the line. You strike out and the game is over. How did you handle this on a personal level? It taught you that you will overcome even in the eyes of defeat. It teaches you how to handle defeat amongst your peers and what you will do to be better next time. Baseball and life are similar, they are just on different stages.

How about your hitting? You fail seven out of ten times and you are a three hundred hitter and a hero. You fail eight out of ten times and you are only hitting two hundred. One extra hit per ten at bats can propel you from hero status to the goat status. How do you deal with defeat when you are only hitting two hundred? Do you throw in the towel or do you put your best effort forward, hold your head high, and carry on with great determination?

Baseball and life teaches us that everyone fails at some point. What matters is not giving up. What matters is getting up and you keep pounding the rock. And while you are pounding the rock, without even knowing it, you are gaining character, desire, determination, and that great spirit that will carry over into life skills.

When I reflect back and try to understand what I learned from this game, I can now see what it has taught me. I know I can handle any situation, because I know how to get back up and move forward. I can deal with personal one-on-one situations, because baseball taught me that.

I know if it doesn't go just right, there is always tomorrow and the prospect of better things. I can handle defeat because I know it is only an opportunity for success later. And an opportunity for me to learn along this road called life.

Yes, baseball has taught me how to be in life, how to handle the ups and the downs, how to be a better person, and how to go out and get what I want in life. It is a grand game in so many ways!

Baseball for me was a stepping stone to my career now. Yes, I accomplished a lot in baseball, but it is where I am now that matters to me and baseball helped me get here.

I am now a captain with the Tucson Fire Department and a paramedic. I have the opportunity to save lives and affect them in a positive way. I deal with tragedy, as well as the overwhelming emotion when saving a life. How do I handle these pressure situations when faced with real emergencies?

I can look back and know that baseball taught me life skills and the ability to handle success as well as defeat. I know that I put my best foot forward each day. Somedays will be enriched with reward, and some with tragedy, but I will keep the course and give it my all. Baseball taught me that. And I hope it can help you as well. Please email me with any thoughts or questions.

Bill Bathe- former major league baseball player who played in 1989 world series. Former instructors include Eddie Matthews, Harmon Killebrew, Billy Williams, and Dusty Baker to name a few. Just click on Baseball drills and baseball equipment to go to his website which provides drills, equipment, information and tips. Also, digital online video analysis, equipment, posters, and more. In addition, stories and pictures on the journey to the big leagues. Or email him at http://www.pro-baseball-drills-and-equipment.com/contact-us.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

#1 personal development plan : From Vision To Action

Who tells the boss that they can improve their management or leadership? How do they look at themselves objectively and identify what areas they can improve and the benefits of doing so?

These days many people have become more aware of the need to look after their bodies and their health. Not only do many join gyms or start participating in sports regularly - a number are using personal trainers. Why do they choose to do this? Consider top performers in the sports world, or areas such as drama and classical music. What do they have in common? The majority have the equivalent of the personal trainer (or more than one!). These are the people at the top of their field and yet they choose to do this. Why?

Some bosses have had formal management and leadership training, and many have not. Regardless, it does not mean that they have not got some areas which would improve with some conditioning, or reconditioning! Yet, as the quotation below says, how many will:

a) admit to these things, and
b) do something about them?

"People will go to a lot of trouble to learn French or Physics or Scuba diving. They have the patience to learn to operate a car, but they won't be bothered learning how to operate themselves" - Newman & Berkowitz

We all know the risks of not keeping ourselves in shape thanks to the media and countless reports and surveys. How aware are we of the risks to our organisations if we have too many bosses who are out of shape in terms of their own style or skills? The knock-on effect of them continuing to behave in the same "out of shape" way can bad for the people working around them and for the organisation's health.

Many bosses, whatever their roles or levels, do not like attending training programmes to develop themselves or their skills. Sometimes there are genuine reasons and often there are a range of frequently used excuses. (Too busy being a frequent cop-out - and is often a good symptom of the problems with their management style and capability.) Whether you are "a boss" who recognises this, or someone who is interested in ways to influence bosses to develop themselves, you might need to look at other options!

The last few years have seen a massive growth in "coaching", whether life-coaching, corporate coaching or executive coaching or other labels. This does tell us one thing, there is a market there for coaches! Also, that more people think that they can benefit from working with a coach. It is not only the likes of Tim Henman and Tiger Woods who think like this!

Within the corporate world, coaching is a very effective way of developing people. Although a significant amount of coaching occurs with board level executives, it is being used increasingly for other levels within the

organisation. There is a limited amount of data about the return on investment from coaching though it is growing. Early studies can demonstrate an ROI of 6 TIMES the investment - and that is in the measurable outcomes, not the intangible gains to the organisation! This is for coaching used in isolation. One organisation measured improvements after training courses and found that they got around 22% improvement in productivity. When this was supported by coaching the improvement was 88%!! Yes, coaching pays dividends!

So, what can a coach do to help the boss get in shape? We believe that there are three key steps to effective coaching interactions and they have some similarities with signing up to the gym and a personal trainer. (These form a process we refer to as "Coherent Coaching" shown in Fig.1.)

First things first - a diagnosis phase. This is critical to the overall success of the project. What is the reason for thinking that the boss needs to get in shape? (The fitness assessment?) The clearer you can be about the areas to be addressed, the existing situation and problems, the impact on others in the organisation, the easier it will be to generate specific aims. This stage can look at the boss in terms of the organisational context and why coaching is being considered, and their personal style and behaviours. Not that these have to be mutually exclusive!

Before dashing in to coaching sessions, review whether this is the best way forward. (Is going to the gym the only way to get in shape?) It could be that the boss will benefit from having a mentor rather than a coach, or having some formal training to learn some specific skills. Should coaching be the way ahead, the boss, the coach and any other stakeholders need to meet and agree the overall aims of the project and a number of other things to do with support and confidentiality. As part of this, the probable timescale can be discussed along with the actual method of working together.

The coaching phase will typically take place over several face to face sessions, probably supported by telephone and email. The key to this is to set really clear outcomes or objectives in the first session. These can be short-term (even for each session) and for the overall project. The boss is in control of this part in terms of setting their outcomes, although a good coach will push them.

The actual coaching sessions will keep the boss thinking about what they can do to move towards their outcomes and objectives. The coach will offer a combination of challenge and support to push the boss onwards. (Again, like the personal trainer will do!) They will provide encouragement and feedback where appropriate. One of the major pluses the coach brings, is that they can be direct and open with the boss when giving feedback. The boss generates ideas and chooses which ones they are committed to pursuing, with the coach helping if they get really stuck.

As with any plan to get in shape, we all like to know what progress we are making.

This is why we think the third part of the process can be started alongside the coaching sessions - the Personal Development Plan. Whatever the actual method is for writing up or keeping the plan, it can be developed throughout the project. As progress is noted, it gives added motivation for continuing and stretching still further.

The key for the sessions and the plan are for examples of improvement to be noticed and noted. They can be discussed and reviewed to explore why they have been achieved and what the payoffs are for the boss, the organisation and the others around them. Wherever possible, aim to quantify these - still more of an incentive!!

As the boss is getting into better shape, they need to know that others are observing it too! (Well, friends and family would tell you if the personal trainer and exercise was making a difference!) How can they get evidence? The coach should encourage them to look for it. As with any plan to get into shape, there may be some times when things seem to plateau or go into reverse. Accept that this might happen, and use the coach to help you breakthrough.

Part way through any project it is often a good idea to have a mid-point review with all concerned stakeholders. Even if this is just the boss and the coach - set up this session with no coaching activity on the agenda! Review what has been achieved, the benefits to all concerned, how does it feel for the boss, and agree if there is any need to change for the future sessions.

At the end of the overall project, there need to be some clearly identified deliverables. These should link back to the outcomes and objectives set at the beginning - with any new ones added! The on-going personal development plan will feed into this too. The deliverables can be both for the organisation and for the individual and their development. Once these are made clear, the trick is to find ways to measure their impact or contribution to the organisation.

Having got in shape, the trick is to keep there! Going to the gym or maintaining the exercise routine is how we do it in that context. How does the boss keep their new shape? Without working at it, there is a severe risk that they will slip back. Maybe they need to get some on-going support, with occasional contact from the coach. Possibly, as a result of the coaching, they have better self-awareness and will assess themselves and encourage others to give them feedback. Whatever they do, it is better for everyone's health if they stay in shape!!

Graham Yemm a founding partner of Solutions 4 Training Ltd.During his years as a consultant he has worked with a variety of major companies in the U.K., Europe, USA, the Middle East and Russia in Sales, People and Management Skills. He has had many years of experience tailoring programmes to address organisational issues around sales, account management, negotiations, sales management and customer service - especially focusing on the communication and personal skills aspects.

Graham is a Master Practitioner of NLP and was involved with setting up and running "The Business Group", which promotes uses of NLP in organisations. He is an accredited trainer for the LAB profile programme - "Words that Change Minds". His personal enjoyment comes from helping individuals to take more responsibility for their own actions- freeing them to feel they can make more choices about their lives.

Contact http://solutions4training.com or +1483 480656

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Organising your Wedding Stationery. Destin Florida Triples In 3 Years.

2005-10-20T14:35:00.000-07:00

Wedding Planner The Simply Organized Bride Weddings By Deborah

all the things you need to do, buy and organize in preparation for your wedding, wedding stationery is something that must be planned ahead. After all, you need to let your guests know well in advance of your forthcoming big day. Your wedding invitation and accessories set the tone for your special day firmly establishing your style and taste. It is the first official message about your wedding that a guest will receive from you, so make it special. If wedding etiquette is important to you, then make a start with your wedding stationery.

The Use of the Internet

The Internet has opened up new avenues for anyone planning a wedding. All your research can literally be done online and this also applies to finding your stationery items. There are hundreds of online stationery and wedding related websites that display all types of wedding invitations and accessories for you to choose from. Today many brides do their wedding research online as you can become quickly informed of the latest trends and new products available. You can either buy your wedding stationery directly over the Internet, or collect ideas and samples and take these to your local stationery store to implement. Most online stores actually send you a sample in the post to let you look and feel the stationery items before you purchase them.

Custom Stationery

Every bride wants her wedding to be as unique as can be. A good place to start is with custom wedding stationery. The great advantage with custom stationery is that you can enter your own wording, select the typeface, text size and color. No matter what theme you have set for your wedding, you will surely be able to customize your stationery to compliment the tone. Wedding invitations and accessories can be bought in various styles such as classic, contemporary, floral, embossed, layered and religious.

On a Budget?

If you're on a budget and looking for cheaper wedding stationery items, then you might like to consider print-at-home wedding invitations. Save money and impress your guests when you personalize and print your wedding invitations at home using free online services that are available from some major online stationery stores. You pay for the paper and envelopes and then use their software to print directly from your own PC. With sophisticated customization tools, you'll be able to enter your text, tweak it, preview it, and print it. No mistakes, no hassles, no wasted cards - and its cheap!

Choose a Theme

The theme of your stationery should coincide with the overall theme of your wedding. For example, if you are having a garden wedding then you may choose to have a floral print on your stationery items. There are many accessory items available to help you tie your stationery in with the theme of your wedding. For example, ribbons, hearts, rings, white doves etc.. The same applies to the color of your invitations. This is normally decided upon by the color of your bridesmaids dresses.

Stationery Items

You would be surprised at how many wedding stationery items there are. While

► Wedding Planning Secrets Save Thousands On Your Wedding! - No Compromise Low Cost Budget...

your wedding invitation is the most prominent item of stationery, you can find complimentary stationery accessories to match your wedding invitations:-

Wedding Invitations
Wedding Programs
Announcements
Engagement Announcements & Invitations
Save-the-Date Cards
Rehearsal Dinner Invitations
Bridal Shower Invitations
Wedding Accessories (menu cards, thank you notes etc..)

Plan Head

Your wedding invitation is the first official message about your wedding and your guests need to know about their invite in plenty of time. Here is a checklist to help you plan ahead and be organised:-

Double-check that the wording in your invitation is correct. Ask a friend or family member to also look through the invitation for you;
Order your invitations as soon as your date, time and place have been confirmed. Three to six months before the ceremony is what most expert planners suggest;
To calculate the number of invitations to order remember to count one invitation per single guest, couple and family;
After calculating the number of invitations add approximately 25 invitations to your order: 10-12 more for keepsakes, plus extras for the last-minute guests. Also, depending on how large your order is, add 25 to 50 additional envelopes in case of mistakes in addressing;
Most established wedding planners agree that you should plan to mail your invitations six weeks before the wedding. This gives the quest plenty of time to respond;
Make sure you have one completely assembled invitation weighed at the post office to determine the correct postage.

Wedding invitations set the tone for your wedding and tell your guests what type of style and theme you have chosen for your wedding.

Summary

Don't underestimate the important of your wedding stationery. It sets the tone and style of your wedding and portrays the image you want to set. Wedding stationery should tie in with the overall theme of your wedding. Invitations and announcements can be bought on a budget by using specialty software to print from your PC.

About The Author

Claire Bowes is a freelance write and owner of http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com where you will find further tips and advice on invitation cards ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/invitation-cards.html) and personalized stationery ( http://www.1st-for-greeting-cards.com/personalized-stationery.html).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Real Estate Investing ebooks

Do you want to see something that is absolutely amazing? Let me show you what has happened in Destin, Florida over the last 3 years. Back in August of 2002, the median price of a home selling in Destin was $229,000. One year later, August 2003, the median price in Destin increased to $305,000, or a 33% price increase.

Roll the clock forward in July 2005, and we see that the average price is now $658,000 as you can see in the price charts below. Do you think there was a little money made in Destin over the last few years? Since I live in the area, I can attest to the HUGE role real estate has played in our local economy and large amount of wealth that has been produced.

For the Monday morning arm chair quarterbacks of the world, you can just hear them at a dinner party saying.... "Boy, I knew that real estate was going up around there and I came close to buying a piece of property back in .......". "If I WOULD OF have purchased that property, I COULD HAVE made a killing.... I guess I SHOULD HAVE bought it before prices went so high. This is what investors call the Woulda, Coulda, Shoulda syndrome.

The WORST thing an investor could do right now is to realize that they missed some gain potential in Destin and then assume that prices will just keep going to the moon. Rather than kicking themselves for actions taken in the past, what this investor should be doing is trying to understand what has happened in the past and then apply that knowledge to FUTURE investments. Let' rewind the clock and see what happened to see if it sheds any clues as to what we should be looking for in the future.

Twenty years ago, Destin was a sleepy little fishing village that calls itself the "Worlds Luckiest Fishing Village". In addition to sugar white beaches, the area has great fishing and emerald colored waters that actually rival some spots in the Caribbean for water clarity. But twenty years ago, very few people wanted to live in Destin and only a small number of tourists wanted to visit the area. Boy has that changed.

In 1993, there was a major event that, in many people's opinion, changed the course of Destin forever. This was the opening of a major bridge into Destin that now provided easy access to tourists. Today, only 12 years after that event, Destin is a huge international tourist destination with multi-million dollar beach condos, Lear jets depositing visitors for the weekend, and a wide array of dining and shopping that rivals many upscale areas. Not too bad for a bunch of people that were affectionately called "fishheads".

So looking back, how could the individual investor have made smart moves in Destin?. Suppose you put on your investor hat and you came down to visit in 1993 right after the mid-bay bridge was constructed. You would have seen:

* A great beach and fishing location;

* An expanding offering of hotels and condos;

* Have realized that it was very unlikely for this area to drop in price due to the ever increasing demand for waterfront and nice vacation spots.

At that stage, somebody with a little bit of foresight could have made a longer term investment and planned on holding for 10 years. This longer term approach might not be your style, however.

Fortunately, you really did not have to really be that smart. Supposed you decided that Destin was likely to be an EMERGING area but you just didn't know when. You would have seen both price and volume of sales start to shoot up in the middle of 2002. When this BUY signal occurred, you would have found that you could have purchased many types of properties that would easily rent out and cover your expenses; i.e., there was a safety net for you. At that point in time, it was absolutely obvious to EVERYONE here that Destin was a major tourist destination that was not going to go away anytime soon.

As time went on, you would have seen the price and volume of sales continue. Looking at the figure below, you would have seen the year-to-year % change in price and the year-to-year % change in volume continue skyward until around December, 2004. After this time, the prices kept going up but not as aggressively. Also, you can see that the rate of change of volume has been dropping over the last 6 months which is a sign that things are definitely cooling off in this local market.

To me, that chart speaks volumes. It says there was a great opportunity to get in and there has been plenty of time to get out. However, it also tells me that I probably don't want to invest in Destin right now even though in the longer term, I think Destin will do just fine. For my taste, I would rather find the next EMERGING market rather than one that has already EMERGED.

Dr. Chris Anderson is a co-founder of http://www.GetPreconstructionDeals.com and is referenced in many venues including the New York Times and USA Today. Download his free, 30+ page preconstruction investing ebook today at Get Preconstruction e-Book.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Ah!! Monsoon Season.... Negotiating Skills: Ask For More Than You Expect To Get.

2005-10-19T14:44:00.000-07:00

"As dark gray clouds gather in the sky, it reminds me of eternal gifts that our Mother Nature has presented to us."

Truly, nature has her own subtle way of expressing love and affection to us. During monsoon season, when tiny rain droplets fall to the ground, the sky gives an impression of an estranged mother who is shedding tears in joy on meeting her beloved children. Though, it seems like a philosophical illusion, yet portrays the kindness that nature has showered by creating monsoon season for us to enjoy.

If someone denies its desire to get wet in the rain, probably he/she is lying. A little kid in us who is lost in ages of maturity suddenly pops out when it sees tiny droplets falling on to the earth. The temptation to get wet and enjoy the raindrops falling on our body is irresistible.

In metros and cities, the joy of monsoon can be seen on everyone's face. Kids dancing on streets, elders enjoying rain in the balcony of their house and women preparing hot pakoras and coffee for everyone in the family are hallmark of first monsoon rain. And what else the romantic lovers want better than this rainy season to spend some intimate moments with each other. We can see them sharing a common umbrella on a local bus stand or going for a long drive to invoke those romantic moments that were kept in backseat thanks to scotching summer heat. In its own elusive way, it somehow justifies the renowned MasterCard advertisement that says "There are some things that money can't buy, for everything else use MasterCard." Truly, these moments of happiness and sense of togetherness are priceless and cannot be bought, rather felt and loved.

In rural areas where agriculture is the primary source of income, the season of rains bears a special significance. And why not so when two-third of our population is directly or indirectly related to agriculture for its livelihood and nearly a quarter of country's economy is dependent upon agriculture. For them, good monsoon not only brings the bumper harvest but consequently also improved standards of living.

Indian Culture has a long tradition of using festivals as medium to mark the beginning and conclusion of any season. Consequently, there are many festivals associated with the onset of monsoon too. In Rajasthan, Teej festival is held every year in July and August months to mark the advent of monsoon. During this festival, women pray to god for good production and buy new clothes and jewellery in anticipation of good monsoon this year. People in Meghalaya also organize a festival called "Behdienkhlam" to invoke the blessings of god for bumper harvest. This festival features religious ceremonies and dancing at a pool called "eit nar".

One of the prominent Hindu festivals that mark the beginning of rainy season is Naga Panchami. This popular Hindu festival is dedicated to Ananta, the serpent upon whose coils Vishnu (The Rain God) rested between universes. People offer milk and worship snake images in temples on this day to protect them from snakebites that are common in areas near to the riverbed. But, the biggest of all festivals is Sri Jagannath Yatra that is celebrated all over the country with much delight. During this festival, the chariot processions of Sri Jagannath are taken throughout the main streets. The biggest of the processions is held in Puri, Orissa where people from all over the world come to this small city to participate in the mega event.

The romance of the Indian monsoon, with its abundant rains and lush green landscape that has been rhapsodized down the ages in verse and song, can be promoted as a "unique" tourist attraction. Monsoon in India are exquisite and to fillip the tourist activities during monsoon season, the Confederation of Indian Industries (CII) has mooted the idea of providing tourists "a unique experience" in the form of "Special Tourism Packages". A CII study paper has recommended states like Kerela, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttranchal, Sikkim, and Himachal Pradesh as monsoon tourism destinations by promoting several schemes to attract tourists to visit these states during Monsoon Season. These schemes will also help government earn precious foreign exchange that International tourists will spend during their stay in India

Monsoons in Kerala are the most enchanting in India. With green pastures at its best, it is the most sought after destination during rainy season. The state is promoting itself extensively in the field of health tourism especially Ayurveda. The equable climate during Monsoon and natural abundance of herbs and medicinal plants in its flora, Kerala is fast capturing the attention of International tourists as a prime destination to visit during the Monsoon Season. With its abundant water reservoir of waterfalls and natural lakes, Northeastern region is also fast emerging as a hot monsoon destination among local as well as International tourists.

The significance of Monsoon season is much more than giving us enjoyment. In India, rivers are the major life lines on which the country's population is heavily dependent The rainfall occurs during the Monsoon season fill these rivers and its tributaries with enough water to feed people all through the year. This rainwater is used primarily for drinking and other essential purposes and any shortage of it can create severe problems like drought for us.

Also, good monsoons are a big necessity in our country where farmers rely more on divine help rather than government authorities to bring water to their fields. Timely rains not only solve their water woes but also help them raising a good food production that is so essential to feed such a huge population like of us. With good monsoons, the level of groundwater also increases in urban areas and consequently solving water problems that occur during summer season. Though we are still very much ignorant about water management techniques. With strategic planning like proper canalization, creation of man made reservoirs and water management techniques,

Urban Planning Now!

we can utilize the natural rainwater in much more efficient manner to boost our agricultural growth as well as solving urban water problems.

The phrase "Expressions of love and happiness cannot be taught. They come to you naturally," says it all. Every living entity shows its love for the rains in its own magical way. Immediately, after the rain plants seem to be thrilled and grow much faster and greener with new branches shot up. We can also see peacock dancing in the rain or scurrying of partridge on green fields to show their happiness on arrival of monsoons. In true sense, rains symbolize the life itself. When dark clouds cover the sky and start showering raindrops on us, I heard everyone around me saying "Ah!! It's Monsoon Season."

Mayank Jhanji

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Weightloss-Fitness.com Negotiate Your Weight

It creates some negotiating room, and you might just get what you're asking for.

Whether playing the role of buyer or seller in a sales transaction, asking for more than you expect to get is a classic opening position in negotiations.

In the audio book, "Sound Advice on Negotiating Skills," author Roger Dawson says, "Henry Kissinger called this the key to success at the bargaining table." It's simple, notes Dawson, but there are many profound reasons for doing it.

"It creates some negotiating room that makes it easier to get what you really want," says Dawson. "It creates a climate where the other person can have a win with you." This climate can prevent negotiating deadlocks, especially when dealing with an egotistical negotiator, according to Dawson.

"When you're selling, it raises the perceived value of your product or service," says Dawson. However, some salespeople are so eager to reach agreement that they soften their opening negotiating position. "They hope that by doing this the client will appreciate how generous they've been," says Dawson. "The danger in this is that the client may instead think, &If they've given us this much, we can get a lot more; let's be tough negotiators.'"

The solution,

Money Making Secrets of Mind Power Masters

says Dawson - a renowned speaker and author of the book, "Secrets of Power Negotiating for Salespeople" - is to "ask for more than you expect to get, but imply some flexibility so that you can encourage them to negotiate with you."

Roger Dawson offers negotiating skills advice each week in the free audio newsletter from What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz/full_story.asp?ArtID=92

About The Author

Richard Cunningham is a principal of What's Working in Biz, http://www.whatsworking.biz, a publisher of business audiobooks and online audio programs on marketing, sales, and small business strategies.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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The Sweet Ripening of the Woman. Mancos Real Estate.

2005-10-18T20:50:00.000-07:00

Dianna Huff's e-book on emarketing, ezine, enewsletter list, tips, email, zine

As this spring brings buds and blossoms galore, it's clear that those trees, plants, and flowers want to burst onto the stage with all their beautiful glory. It is also quite evident that a new and exciting social change is springing forth for women as well.

Issues of gender equality come in so many forms; professional, relational, spiritual, intellectual, and yes, even sexual. Traditional Western thought demands that women scorn their sexuality, one of the most vital and enjoyable parts of life.

If you asked a woman in 1905, just one hundred years ago, if she was as sexually satisfied as her partner, there would have no doubt been a variety of possible responses. If she was taught that such talk was not "ladylike," she may have shied from an answer or stormed off in a pious huff. However, if you could coax an honest reply, it would have probably entailed the required deference to the needs of her husband.

However, there is a new season springing to life in America. With women now in powerful positions in the media, new programs and commercials have a distinctively feminine flare - the kind that can only be attributed to a strong woman who knows what she wants and knows how to get it.

One example of this phenomenon is a recent McDonald's commercial with a woman who says that when she is eating her McGriddle and drinking some McDonald's coffee, she feels anything is possible and dreams of hiring a pool boy - though she has no pool. How wonderfully scandalous! This commercial brilliantly hits home with every woman because yes, we think about those types of things too.

I consider this commercial pioneering material. To have a man say such things is traditionally acceptable, after all men do enjoy sex. But to have a woman say such things breaks

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all social decorum, yet opens the doors of flagrant sexuality on one of the last places to accept the woman in her real beauty - commercial marketing.

Commercial marketing has always portrayed the woman as either a sex object for men or a Betty Crocker type, prompting several generations of women to constantly reach for unachievable perfection projected by one delusional image or the other. This medium has been slow to recognize the woman for her true self. I applaud McDonald's for this bold move. In my opinion, this single commercial has shattered the 50s prototype and the sex object image into tiny fragments. My hope is this commercial will set the precedence for future marketing.

One more very popular example of the changes taking place in the media concerning women is the new hit show Desperate Housewives. This show is about reality. When I watch this show I think to myself, "This is how real women are." Sure, it goes to extremes at times, as any television drama does. But it also portrays women who are strong and intelligent.

One of the latest episodes for Desperate Housewives has a scene where Terri Hatcher's character wants to give certain man another chance but decides she can't bring herself to trust him enough to work things out. I didn't expect that ending at all. I was shocked that she didn't go running back to those strong male arms, as is oft the ending in most romantic dramas in America. But no, she was strong, she was brave and she was intelligent. She was not needy, insecure or "desperate." It made me proud to be a woman.

Like this television character, women no longer wait to be told how they should feel or what they should want. They are finally free to find out for themselves. For these women, fulfillment comes in a variety of ways - be it through sexual, intellectual, religious, political, or social pursuits. Today's woman has many dimensions and I applaud the media for finally catching up to those of us who have embraced our many sides to find completion through exploring all that life has to offer.

It is high time the media targeted the women who are comfortable in our own skins. Maybe this change is because they finally realize we are too intelligent to buy into the absurd notion that we need to be recreated into some 18-year-old anorexic to be beautiful. More likely, women are the ones calling the shots behind that camera. Either way, a new season has definitely started and it promises the sweet ripening of the woman.

About the Author:

Stella Ramsaroop is a western world traveler, a life-long student, a wanna-be stargazer, and an Aquarius in all its forms (if you know what that means). Her articles emphasize the importance of the continued development and protection of gender equality in all aspects of a woman's life.

Visit Stella's Website at http://www.newsparade.com to read her current articles and to contribute your thoughts on women's issues.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Real estate: availability and cost

In 2000, the median home value for a single-family residence in Mancos was estimated at $94,200 as compared to the U.S. median of $119,200. Before you jump into the fray and search for a house in this small town of 1100, be ready with a list of things you want in your new home. Tell Realtors specifically what you are looking for and have them present you with a list of options - your research should be mostly into your own wants. Realtors have a better knowledge of the neighborhoods, schools, and home prices in the area than you do, so content yourself with narrowing down the selection with which an agent presents you.

Three-bedroom single family residences are selling from $150,000 to $6 million (with lots of acreage). Condos and town homes are very difficult to find on your own, and it would be wise to use a real estate agent who specializes in condominium or town home sales if you are interested in this sort of property. If you want to start from scratch, land is available from $35,000 for a single acre to $2.15 million for 320 acres. Mancos real estate is diverse in price and style, so you'll surely find something to suit your needs and wants.

Mancos, Colo.

If you're looking for small-town charm with big-town accessibility, Mancos might be the right place for you. If you're looking for countless outdoor activities, year-round beautiful weather and a wealth of amazing history, Mancos provides it. Located

Mexican and South Western Recepies: <meta name="description" content="Ebook Cookbo...

between the La Plata Mountains and Mesa Verde National Park in southwestern Colorado, Mancos has over 300 days of sunshine every year and many ways to spend time outdoors. Famous as the home of ranchers and avid horse-back riders, Mancos originally was the home for the Anasazi people, ancestors of the Pueblo Indians.

Such an incredible history provides a rich cultural background for this small town as well as countless historical sites you can visit when you look for houses. Some of the more notable sites include Anasazi Heritage Center, the Mesa Verde National Park and Hovenweep National Monument. You could spend time horseback riding and exploring the trails, camping underneath a pristine and star-studded sky, or maneuvering through white water rapids of the Mancos area.

Mancos has been spared the isolation many small towns face by being in the path of the San Juan Skyway, a scenic freeway often celebrated as "America's Most Beautiful Drive." Countless tourists come through Mancos every year on the Skyway, providing a steady source of revenue for Mancos residents. Living in a small town can be perfect for those who work from home, but commuters often find themselves cut off and irritated by the distance. In Mancos, you don't have to worry about it because of the Skyway. The city also has a very low unemployment rate - well below the Colorado state average - which should make you feel at ease with the local economy.

Inside Real Estate in a network entirely devoted to real estate information. Our staff of nationwide writers has provided a library of over 25,000 real estate articles. Inside Real Estate covers several topics from the basic "how to's" of real estate to city specific real estate information.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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How Directories Help Search Engines. Getting Your Employees' Attention Back to Work.

2005-10-18T09:23:00.000-07:00

Add your URL to Got That Online.com - List your site for 12 months or a Life Time Permanent Listing...

At the beginning of the web era, users would go to directories to find sites relevant to their interests. In fact, Yahoo!, the web's number one destination, started as a directory. Nowadays, most users rely on search engines, not directories, to find what they're looking for.

When search engines started to become popular, they relied on web pages' 'keyword metatags' to determine the topic and relevance of the page (the keyword metatag is a section within a web page's HTML code where webmasters can insert words that are relevant to the page's content). Webmasters discovered that by stuffing their meta tags with popular search terms repeated hundreds of times, they could propel their pages to the top of the search results.

Search engines caught up to the abuse and decided to ignore the meta tags and rely instead on web page copy. Webmasters then started to overstuff their page copy with popular search terms, often writing them in the same color as the web page's background, so that they could be detected by search engines while being invisible to users.

Again, search engines discovered the trick and decided that the best way to rank a web page's content and its topical relevance was to rely on inbound links from other pages. The rationale behind this is that it is much more difficult to influence other people to link to you than it is to manipulate your own web page elements. In fact, inbound links are the foundation of Google's Pagerank(tm) algorithm.

There are several ways to get

inbound links, among them writing articles that include your bylines with a link to your page, exchanging links, and listing your site in directories.

Listing your sites in good directories is probably the best way to get quality links that are highly valued by the search engines. Since directories rely on human editors who enforce strict criteria to list a site, and since directories organize the information in highly focused categories, they are an invaluable resource for search engines to measure the quality and the relevance of a web page.

In summary, directories are important not because they generate significant traffic (they don't), but because they are given great importance by the search engines to qualify and rank web pages, and to determine their topical relevance.

You should definitely list your site with quality directories if you want to increase your chances of success with the search engines.

About The Author

Mario Sanchez: http://www.theinternetdigest.net. For more search engine tips go to: http://www.accordmarketing.com/seotips/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Productivity. Improve business productivity through work measurement and method study.

is 9:00 am on a Monday morning. Do you know where your employees' attention is? Is it on work?

Picture this. You are at work. The phone rings. It is your aging father's neighbor calling to say that Dad is walking around outside in his pajamas and seems confused. You have a full day of meetings and deadlines. Your heart sinks as you try to figure out how to care for your dad and keep your job.

The phone rings again. This time it is the school nurse saying that your asthmatic child is having trouble breathing.

According to the American Productivity Audit, one-third of respondents said dependent health concerns were a top reason employees were not able to focus on their job while at work.

What you may not know is that the situations above can just as likely happen to a working woman as to a working man. However

Get Paid to take surveys - Work at home - Get Paid for your opinion

if a woman gets the troubling phone call, she is more likely to talk about it at work while the man will not (2003 National Alliance for Caregiving national survey).

Millions of working adults - men and women - are juggling the competing demands of caring for a chronically ill or disabled parent, raising a family, and managing a career.

Working caregivers sacrifice leisure time, and often suffer stress-related illnesses. Negative effects on working caregivers include time lost from work, lower productivity, quitting a job to provide care, lost career opportunities and lower future earnings. Eventually, some 16 percent quit their jobs to provide care full-time. Work disruptions due to employee caregiving responsibilities result in productivity losses of $1,142 per year per employee. According to the Washington Post, researchers estimate that the cost of informal caregiving in terms of lost productivity to U.S. businesses is $29 billion annually.

Caregiving Takes Work-Life Toll

A recent MetLife study dubbed "Juggling Act" revealed some of the productivity-killing adjustments that caregivers choose to make to their work schedules:

84% make phone calls
69% arrive late or leave early
67% take time off during the workday
29% make up work at another time

In addition, a national survey conducted by the National Alliance for Caregiving in 1997 found that two in ten working caregivers turned down the opportunity to work on special projects; almost as many avoided work-related travel. Forty percent of the survey respondents said that caregiving affected their ability to advance in their jobs.

What Employers Can Do

Here are seven measures you can take to reduce employee stress, increase productivity and decrease lost work time due to employee caregiving responsibilities.

Offer "cafeteria style" employee benefits which allow employees to select supplemental dependent care coverage to reimburse costs for in-home care or adult day care. Benefits also should cover therapeutic counseling for employees to help cope with the stresses of caregiving.
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Provide information on helpful Internet sites or resource centers.
Organize in-house caregiver support groups or coordinate with local community groups or hospitals so that employees can attend an outside support group.
One of the most critical benefits for an employee with caregiving responsibilities is time. Flexible work hours, family illness days, and leave time are key. Data from the Bureau of National Affairs (1993) found that flexible scheduling improved job performance, decreased lateness and employee turnover, and increased job satisfaction.
Companies with 50 or more employees must comply with

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the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), which allows for up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave to care for a seriously ill parent, spouse or child, while protecting job security. Smaller firms can use the FMLA guidelines to provide support for individual employees.
Hold a company "caregiver fair" or a series of lunchtime seminars on issues such as health care planning before a crisis hits or coping skills for caregivers.
Offer private long-term care insurance coverage for employees, their spouses, and dependents.

Employers have a stake in designing responsive and effective programs to support their caregiving employees. Research has demonstrated that the cost to employers of lost productivity and other factors related to caregiving employees' difficulty in balancing work and family is high. Taking action immediately starts to increase productivity, lessen direct and indirect financial costs, and enhance employer/employee work/life relationship - which directly impacts on employee morale, satisfaction and retention.

About The Author

Michael Christian is the President of Patient Advocate Solutions (PAS). PAS provides healthcare navigation and insurance resolution for consumers, employers and healthcare providers. Contact him at (732) 564-9800 or www.pas-now.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Negotiate Your Way Out Of Debt. Horse Training 101.

2005-10-16T00:38:00.000-07:00

Debt Free Eliminate Debt Debt Free Living

Eliminating your debt is a daunting task. What can you do to get out of debt fast? Believe it or not, negotiation along with proper financial responsibility is your foothold out of the rat race. Learning how to eliminate your debt might be one of the most important life skills that you learn because it can bring you happiness and fulfillment. In order to successfully eliminate your debt, you must use a combination of self-control, proper negotiating skills, and some future planning.

Here Are Some Tips

1. Chop &em up or freeze &em. Start by taking all your credit cards out of your wallet/purse and cut them up into pieces. If you're one of those people who make the claim that you might need those credit cards in case of emergency, then a unique strategy is to freeze your cards--literally. Put the credit card into a paper cup and fill the cup with water and then freeze it. You won't have immediate access to the credit card and it will still work for you in case of emergencies. Whatever way you choose to get rid of your credit cards, make it a symbolic ritual of your commitment to get out of debt.

Living Within Your Means - The Easy Way

2. Start living within your means. You'll be amazed at how much money can slip through your fingers on small daily purchases. Start living within your means by paying cash for the things that you need to purchase. Start looking for the cheaper items. Remember, brand names do not always equate to being a better product. Big businesses count on the fact that you are going to toss them your money without question, so don't make it so easy for them. Use coupons wherever you go. Buy in bulk to reduce costs. Learn how to cook. The ways to save money are endless. Just remember that living within your means does not mean you have to live poor-it just means you have to live smarter.

3. Consolidate all your high-rate credit cards. First check out the maximum credit limit and APR on all your credit cards and choose the one with the lowest APR and consolidate your other credit card balances onto that one account. Make sure that there are no hidden fees associated with the balance transfer. Another way is to negotiate a loan that offers a lower APR than what you are currently paying for and pay off your high interest cards with that loan. Just be very careful about the small print because many credit card and loan companies will offer a low introductory APR, but once that is over, they jack it up through the ceiling.

4. Invest in your debt. Many people who are stuck in debt still pay quite a bit into their mutual funds or stock portfolio thinking that they will get a higher rate of return. In most cases, this will never happen. Annual APR's for credit cards are a whopping 24% or more. I have yet to see a constantly performing stock or mutual fund that turns out even 15% on a regular basis. Treat your debt like a high-interest investment-one where you are guaranteed to earn a huge rate of return. Always invest in your debt before you put money into investments.

5. Use a trusted family member. One of the best ways to get out of debt is with the help of a financially stable family member because they will usually give you the cheapest deal on a loan. Get an IOU agreement in writing and pay them a predetermined amount every month. Some people choose not to go this route because of pride, but it could be the fastest and cheapest way out of debt. Just make sure you possess the integrity and honor to repay your debt to them otherwise you will have more problems than just financial ones.

6. Don't get suckered into taking more debt. A dirty negotiation tactic that loan companies like to use is to offer you more of a loan than you need to pay off your debt, thus adding more debt onto your existing debt. This tactic works the same way as when a child brings a stray puppy home and asks, "Can we keep him?" The credit companies know that there is a great deal of emotional attachment to that extra credit and they are betting that you are going to take that "stray puppy" home with you. Resist the temptation to take that extra credit home with you because it will cause more problems than it is worth.

7. Kill the smaller vermin first. If you have several debt accounts in various denominations, then attack the smallest debt first with full force and kill it as quick and as painlessly as possible. Once that debt is gone, then use the newly freed savings from the last debt and apply it towards killing the next largest one, and so forth. This is a simpler and much more effective way of eliminating debt than paying small amounts off of each loan. It also has the psychological benefit of boosting your motivation with each progressive success.

8. Stay busy. It's a known fact that if you have too much free time on your hands, you are more likely to spend money than if you were busy. Take up some recreational activity to keep you occupied so that you don't have that free time to go spend your money.

9. Set up an auto-pay system. There is a ridiculous amount of money to be made on late charges and finance charges. Credit card accounts spiral out of control because people see that they do not have any monthly minimums dues and let it roll over to the next month. The credit card companies love this because you have just given them extra money in the form of finance charges to your account. Always pay more than your minimum to get out of debt. Avoid handing free money over

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to companies who charge you for late fees by setting up an EFT or automatic bill pay system so that you won't have to deal with writing the checks, finding stamps, and mailing the bills every month. Having an automated system do this for you will make sure those bills get paid on time.

About The Author

Tristan Loo is an experienced negotiator and an expert in conflict resolution. He uses his law enforcement experience to train others in the prinicples of defusing conflict and reaching agreements. Visit his website at http://www.streetnegotiation.com or e-mail him directly at tristan@streetnegotiation.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Each horse is different in how it learns and how it reacts to outside stimuli. Certain methods of horse training may apply to some horses, but it does not mean that it will be effective to all breeds of horse.

To start horse training you must develop a communication system with the horse. This might take time.

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In the same way as children may not fully grasp the idea of things at an instant, baby horses in training may not get every pressure, pat or way of holding the reins at once.

When you apply a certain pressure, you expect a certain response. During horse training, you must make the horse understand that a certain pressure should elicit a corresponding response. We don't expect full compliance in the beginning, but as time goes by, these actions will be part of the horse's vocabulary.

Throughout the course of the horse training, one by one these actions will be added to his vocabulary. But these actions should still be broken down into minute details that the horse can take in one at a time. Learn how to pace with each individual horse. Training is something that should be done slowly and surely.

You must also learn how to "speak" to your horse in a way that it will be able to comprehend. This manner of speaking would mean fewer words and more body language.

Horses are herd animals. They learn well by imitating the leaders of the herd. You should be that "leader" your horse will follow. Patience is a key in training your horses.

You must also take into consideration that no one, animal or human, learns well when under stress. You should not force lessons into your horse during horse training. They don't appreciate the yelling and whipping, especially if they do not know what all the harshness is for. Unlike humans who can speak their minds, horses resort to more physical responses. And you certainly wouldn't want your horse to whirl, kick, strike and do out of hand movements.

You must create an environment wherein the horse can learn on its own, aside from the horse training that you give it. It is also important to see the difference between having been able to teach the horse something and it just accepting it. If a horse is relaxed when you do something, this does not necessarily mean that it is trained. This might just mean to it as another thing a human being normally does. Resistance at first is needed in order to see that the horse recognizes that something new is being taught to him.

The horse's daily training routine should not be based on a set of particular things you want to teach to the horse. It should be based on how your horse reacts to your actions. Don't teach something new to it without reviewing what it already knows.

Most importantly - don't force your horse to go on horse training if it doesn't feel well. A good routine does not only maintain the horse's attention level, but also its comfort level.

Horses and Ponies Learn more at http://www.horseandponys.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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Overcoming the Document Tracking Challenge. Work Priorities: Where Can You Spend Your Time Most Effectively?.

2005-10-13T21:47:00.000-07:00

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"Where did it go? It was here yesterday. Wait. Here it is. But it looks a lot like the draft I just sent my team members yesterday. I don't remember when this change was made. Who made this change? Why is document tracking so difficult?"

We have all seen it before. Desk space is being invaded by papers and drafts of rather important information that is in a rather unidentifiable order. When it comes to information, businesses know that time is money. Businesses do not want to spend money for hours spent on manual document tracking,

which is why most business are searching out document tracking software that keeps all of your drafts, reports, and other important informational documents in order. Document tracking software has literally rescued business from drowning in an innavigable sea of documents.

So, what is document tracking and how do I find the right software to make it happen? You can start by searching "document tracking" on a search engine, and you will find about 167 million pages indexed on document tracking. The good news is that information and products to get your business started on effective document tracking is available. The bad news is that all of that information can be difficult to sift through in order to find the document tracking software that fits your business needs.

Document Tracking

Whether your business specializes in potato chips or automobiles, your business will have departments and teams that work together with management, investors, and clients to produce reports on the market, the budget, the product, the sales, or other important information, and document tracking is the glue that keeps a report together. These reports are meant to bring all parties on to the same page with respect to how the company is running and needs to run.

As these teams and departments compile information and develop reports and presentations, several drafts are sent back and forth between parties and that is when document tracking gets sticky. The desktop, outlook, and the hard drive could very quickly get filled with numerous drafts under numerous titles, leaving you with more questions than answers. Who? What? When? Where? And how? Repeat through your mind as you look over this complex collection of documents. Whether manual or electronic filing has been your method, electronic document tracking can answer all of your document tacking questions.

Let's begin by chiseling down your 167 million choices by examining software that will meet your businesses document tracking needs.

Digital Thread

As you search through the torrent of document tracking software available today you will notice a technology which propels some document tracking software ahead of the rest. This technology is called Digital Thread. Document tracking with Digital Thread means that any document can be tracked through its various edits by a tag in the metadata of the document. As the drafts of the document are sent back and forth, you will always be informed as to the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document and its changes.

Digital Signature

The Digital Thread has successfully overcome the challenge of document tracking, and now Digital Signature comes into play by displaying in your outlook or whenever you open a document, the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document and its drafts. Document tracking enables you to know exactly what you are looking for right when you open the document.

Version History

Often times a visual map or a family tree of your document simplifies the document tracking process. Version history puts all of the document tracking pieces together in a genealogy of drafts, which describes the who's, what's, when's, where's, and how's of the document tracking process.

Joe Miller is specialist in online advertising. For more information on document tracking, please visit NextPage.com.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Management leadership training course online for managers, supervisors and team leaders - Supervisor...

Understanding where you can spend time most effectively requires concentration in three areas:

1. Doing what you enjoy
2. Concentrating on your strengths
3. Understanding Job Excellence

Let's start with doing what you enjoy. Your quality of life is in many ways dependant on how much (or little) you enjoy your job. While every job has aspects that you may not enjoy as much as others, overall your job satisfaction should be high. The higher your job enjoyment, the more effectively you will be in getting things done.

If you are working in a job that you don't enjoy, you have two choices. The first is to minimize those things you don't care for. This does not mean you no longer do them, but you look for the positive things about those individual components you don't like. Over time you should be able to reduce the number of negatives and increase the positive aspects. This will automatically increase job enjoyment.

If you are certain you will never be able to enjoy your job, it's time to consider option 2, changing jobs. This is a drastic measure and should not be done without careful thought. However studies continually show that people who do make a decision to change from jobs they don't enjoy to jobs they like almost immediately experience a better life with less stress.

Second, concentrate on your strengths. It is important to recognize where both your strengths (talents) and weaknesses are. Some people successfully use a matrix commonly called SWOT.

The SWOT technique is a helpful matrix that helps you understand where your Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats are.

For your "STRENGTHS" list only what you believe your strengths are but also include what others think your strengths are. Include the available resources that you use to your advantage and those activities you do well.

"WEAKNESSES" are areas you and others around would identify as areas where you are not as strong. Things that take you away from productive activity may be considered a weakness if they interfere with your goal.

"OPPORTUNITIES" are areas where you see a trend changing that may affect your goal. Don't forget to look at technology and changing demographics when working in this dimension.

"THREATS" are considered to be the specific obstacles that you currently face. Those obstacles can range from cash flow to technology. Look for anything that may detrimentally affect the way you do things now.

By analyzing the completed SWOT matrix you may be surprised as to the areas you can focus on to reach your business goals.

The third focus in setting your work priorities is to become an expert at your job. Being an expert is going beyond academics and entering into the real world of your business. Keeping up with trends, competitors, market and demographic changes are critical areas where you should strive to be regarded as an expert.

In addition you need a plan to keep on top of your field. You must learn to make and keep good goals that are complementary with your company's growth.

This requires that your goal and the goals of your department be in total sync. Set a meeting with your manager, make sure you both are in agreement and the goals you are setting are the same, or are a part of, the department goals. The department goals should be the same as the company goals.

Here are some good questions to get clear answers on that will help you set priorities:

-- What is the purpose of this job?
-- How am I measured for success?
-- What does exceptional performance look like?
-- What are the specific priorities and deadlines?
-- What resources are available?
-- What is your budget?
-- How does what you do relate to other people?

Carefully consider this time of year to get a fresh start on the fall and your sanity at the same time. After all, it may not be Time Management that is keeping you from accomplishing everything you think you need to do. It may be doing what you enjoy and concentrating on your strengths.

=================================
© 2004 TrainingConnections.ORG
All Rights Reserved

John Robertson is a Professional Trainer with over 20 years experience in Mid to Sr. Level Management in several Fortune 500 companies. His real world experience will bring credibility to your meetings. TrainingConnections.ORG focuses on three major categories of Employee Performance Improvement; Leadership, Management and Sales Training. Contact us today for more information or check our web site: www.TrainingConnections.ORG.
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Sports Psychology for Golfers: 4 Tips for Beating the Yips. Ridding Your Home of Geopathic Stress.

2005-10-10T17:34:00.000-07:00

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When players labels themselves as having the putting yips, they think they have an incurable disease. Putting confidence declines and the fear of missing putts makes matters worse. Players who suffer from the fear of missing don't like to putt. The more they putt, the worse it gets, until it's intolerable. This leads golfers to believe they have an affliction that they must learn to play with. When golfers condition themselves into believing they have the yips, it is extremely hard for change to occur.

The yips start with poor results and missing short putts. The player then progresses to the fear of missing and the fear of putting. The player feels like it is a physical condition, which leads golfers to believe that it can be corrected with a change in technique or practice habits. But the yips come from the golfer's inability to gain neuromuscular control due to poor attentional focus or anxiety. Intense anxiety or fear does not allow the golfer to control his muscles and putt smoothly. The player freezes and can't draw the putter back from the ball and initiate the putting stroke. The player wants to move the club back, but his or her hands and arms are in a vise. It's like a deer that freezes in the middle of the road by the fear of an approaching car. Another form of the yips occurs when the player tenses up at impact and feels like he or she is stabbing at the ball.

The yips are curable. Several touring professionals such as Bernhard Langer, who suffered from the yips have putted free again. The first step is to stop labeling yourself as having a physical "illness" that causes you to jab at your putts. Next you have to realize that the physical symptoms of the yips come from a conditioned way of thinking about putting. Here are some suggestions for dealing with the yips:

1.The fear of missing is where it starts. Throw away the fear of missing putts. Fear and anxiety come from what you think might happen in the immediate future. It's very important to not let your mind wander to outcome of the putt or missing. You need to stay focused on the execution of the putt and how you are going to hit a good putt. Forget about what might happen, good or bad.

2. Forget about the past. You can't change the fact that you missed several short putts the last round. If you carry a poor putting round with you, you will have a monkey on your back. It's very hard to putt with a monkey on the back. Every round is different and every putt you have is different. You must look at each putt as a new opportunity for success!

3. Simplify your approach to putting. Often the tendency when not putting well is to search for the answer with your method or putter. Often, this can make matters worse-when you have too many thoughts about how to putt. Prepare for your putt with only one focus--to hit your target that you selected. Think about throwing darts. Focus on the bullseye (or your target in this case) and let your body do the rest. Look at your target and pull the trigger as your eyes return to the ball. Continuous motion helps prevent you from freezing over the ball.

4. See the ball going in the hole. How often do you imagine the ball missing as you are over the putt ready to start your stroke? It is very important that all your thoughts and images are focused on the ball rolling into the hole. As you read the putt and select a line, see the ball roll along that line into the hole. As you walk into the ball, stay focused on that image of the ball dropping into the hole. Over the ball, continue to have a powerful image of the ball rolling towards the hole, even if it is only for the last two feet of the putt.

Dr. Patrick J. Cohn is a master mental game coach who works with athletes of all levels including amateur and professionals.

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Visit Peaksports.com to gain access to over 500 exclusive mental game articles, audio programs, and interviews with athletes and coaches to enhance your athletic potential: http://www.peaksports.com/membership/ or call 888-742-7225.

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EFT Emotional Freedom Technique by Gary Craig - Taught by Dr Silvia Hartmann in Adventures In EFT

Just as there are solar magnetic stresses that come from the sun and the galactic "soup" that supports the universe, there are geomagnetic stresses that come from within the earth. The field of geobiology, or geopathology, is a science that has its roots in Europe and has slowly gained popularity in the United States over the past 25 years.

Research and proven modalities of detecting internal earth stresses has been extensive in Europe. Much of the research available today has come from the scientific and medical communities in countries like Germany, Austria, France and England.

Natural radiation that is inherent within in the earth can be distorted by natural and man-made influences such as mineral concentrations, fault lines, underground streams and underground public utilities. When imbalances affect the earth's magnetic field, there are distortions that affect humans.

Illnesses of a chronic nature come from detrimental environmental imbalances that affect the physiology. Dr. Otto Bergsmann, a professor at the University of Vienna reported changes in serum values of calcium, zinc and serotonin in humans after short-term exposure to non-life supporting earth radiation sites. Even this limited exposure undermined the immune systems when exposed to these negative forces. Spending longer periods of time in unhealthy environments can gradually deteriorate the health.

Alterations in biological functioning can lead to adverse health affects. If sleep patterns are disturbed this not only can make you feel tired and irritable, it can produce a litany of more serious illnesses over time. The body's resistance to viruses and bacteria can become affected when the natural rhythms within the body are constantly distorted during sleep. Dr. Paul G. Seeger, Former Chief of Cancer Research at Charite Hospital, Berlin, Germany states that the billions of dollars spent on cancer research around the world has not produced convincing proof of the cause of cancer. He feels that thorough investigation of telluric (earth) radiation will provide a possible prime cause of cancer in humans.

At the beginning of the 1990's, the United States Environmental Protection Agency stated that after examining available data over the past 15 years, there was evidence of a positive association of exposure to magnetic fields with certain site-specific cancer, namely leukemia, cancer of the central nervous system and to a lesser extent, lymphomas.

As early as the 1920's, there have been studies done in Germany (Winzer-Melzer survey of Stuttgart) which determined that major geological faults, which emanated noxious radiation, crossed under the beds of a high percentage of cancer victims. Hundreds of studies since then (by Dr. Ernst Hartmann of Germany and others) has shown that radiation that builds up on crossing geopathic stress lines can weaken the immune system and cause many diseases. In a number of European countries having a survey for geopathic stress before buying or building a house is automatically undertaken.

Thousands of years ago, the sages of India wrote about the adverse effects of geopathic stress upon the human physiology. The impact of non-life supporting magnetic imbalances was recorded in the Vedas. Not only were these imbalances described, but also ways to ameliorate these distortions were provided in detail.

GETTING RID OF GEOPATHIC STRESS IS EASY!

How do you know if you suffer from geopathic stress? The average person spends six to eight hours a day in the bedroom sleeping, making this part of the house the most likely to transmit geopathic stress into the body, if it exists underground. Cats tend to sleep in places of geopathic stress, while dogs avoid them.

Pulling your beds and desks away from the wall at least 4" will reduce the impact of geopathic and electromagnetic stress coming from wires and pipes in the walls.

Removing geopathic stress isn't hard to do and reportedly 80% of the population has the ability to do it. Here's an easy-to-do technique that you can do today that will make a world of difference in your life:

This is what you will need:

Make two coat hangers into an L shape 4"x 16" each

Several copper rods attainable from your local hardware store - #4 copper wire. You will need to either have them cut or cut them yourself 18" long. You should have at least 10.

Instructions:

Hold the short side of each L in each hand. Do not squeeze the rods too tightly as they need to move. You want to walk around the perimeter of your home or office clockwise. You can do this outside or inside, room by room. Begin by taking a deep breath in and out. After you do this, ask to be shown the geopathic stress lines coming from your left that are harmful to your health. Holding the rods parallel to the ground and parallel to each other, walk in a straight line slowly around the perimeter of your property or room. Where the rods cross, you have found a geopathic stress line.

For outside: Every time the L rods cross, copper staples must be placed at each spot where they cross. Take one copper rod and bend each end 2", forming a giant staple and push the bent ends into the ground.

For inside: Lay a straight copper rod parallel with the wall at the each spot where the L rods cross. Doing this will divert harmful radiation supporting healthy people and a stress-free environment.

A Story of a Mystic and A King

Once a king brought a present to a great Sufi mystic Farid. He brought a beautiful pair of golden scissors, very valuable and rare. Farid took them and gave them back to the king, and said, "Sir, many thanks for the present you have brought. It is a beautiful thing but utterly useless to me It would be better if you gave me a needle."

The king said "I don't understand".

Farid said "Scissors cut things apart and needles put things together. I teach people to live in harmony with nature, to be one with God.

Whenever you attempt to do whatever you do alone, separate from the whole, it becomes failure. Success is within God and nature. Failure is you minus God."

A client recently ask me why is Vastu so important for success in life. I said "The universe is in precise order, moving in precise time through many billions of years. Vastu shows us how to design structures that are in tune with nature and that do not struggle against it. In this way nature supports our success and protects us from misfortunes of life."

About The Author

Michael and Robin Mastro's synergistic approach successfully assists people in living in peace and harmony with themselves and others, and in creating balanced lives filled with unlimited possibilities. Visit us at www.VastuCreations.com

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The Colic Baby. How to Choose a Bed and Breakfast.

2005-10-08T18:25:00.000-07:00

When a baby has colic, the family environment is stressful and many family members may become upset or on edge. This is most often seen in new parents. Some symptoms of colic may be that the baby cries loudly for three hours, the baby has bowel pains or the baby pulls their feet up under themselves and clenches their fists.

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New parents become alarmed and upset that their new baby may cry for hours, even though they have tried just about everything to comfort the the baby.

Causes of Colic

There is no known one cause of colic. Doctors have several theories of what causes infant colic. The most popular theory is that the child had ingested air along with either the mother's milk or bottled milk. Drinking too fast or in gulps causes air to enter the baby's stomach which leads to gastrointestinal pain, thus the baby becomes colic. Another theory some believe is that if the baby is breast fed and the mother is eating a lot of gas producing foods such as orange juice, vegetables, like onions and cabbage, apples, plums, spicy food and caffeinated products such as cola, chocolate and tea, the baby will receive the same result through breast milk. A third theory is that infants have an immature nervous system that is unable to cope with all the intense new stimulations of new life events. As the day progresses, the stress overcomes them and they cry for hours.

Solutions For a Colic Baby

Infant colic is very common in new born children. It is not the result of poor parenting skills. In fact, about 1/3 of all babies experience colic, so having a colic baby is not uncommon. In most cases infant colic will disappear in three months. But what can you do now? How can you reduce colic symptoms? There is no single treatment for a colic baby. Many parents have experienced success trying the following methods:

1. Hold your baby and rock it in your arms.

2. Put your baby in a swing and gently rock it back and fourth.

3. Take the baby for a car ride.

4. Carry the infant in a sling or take it for a carriage ride.

5. Try turning on a fan or vacuum, using them as white noise.

6. Try using a pacifier.

7. Give the baby a warm bath.

8. Try burping the baby.

9. Use Simethicone drops to reduce the baby's gas pains.

10. If you are the mother, and you are breast feeding, vary your diet to see if you are eating some food which produces gas. The baby would receive this food through your breast milk.

Summary of Infant Colic

Most of the time newborn colic is nothing to worry about. Make sure you go over the possible solutions for a colic baby which are listed above. Ask neighbors and friends. They have often already been through infant colic. Consult your doctor if your baby screams constantly or if the infant colic is accompanied by vomiting, diarrhea, constipation or absence of urine. These symptoms may indicate a more serious problem. If you are new parents, congratulations!

James M. Aust
http://www.AllWomensClothes.com/?ref=sub

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Starting a Bed and Breakfast :: Homepage

So you've decided to shun the neon-flashing motel chains and marble-foyered monsters and venture into the world of cozy, intimate bed and breakfasts? After all, you've heard how much more personal and romantic the b&b experience is, right? Well....usually that's the gospel truth. However, there are certain things to keep in mind and questions to ask yourself (and prospective innkeepers) before you make your final decision and turn over your credit card number.

The first thing to consider is the area of the country you will be visiting. Many towns across America offer the b&b experience but only have a handful of options for you to consider. On the other hand, if you visit our hometown of Fredericksburg, Texas (population 9,000) there are literally hundreds of b&b's, reportedly the largest number of b&b's per capita in the nation. Unfortunately for the unwary traveller, not all are created equal! When visiting such a popular bed and breakfast town, the research you do beforehand will greatly impact the quality of your stay.

These days it seems almost everyone makes their travel decisions and arrangements through the internet. In fact you are probably one of those individuals or you wouldn't be reading this article. You can always

begin your search by typing in your destination city or town and "bed and breakfast" into your search engine to get an idea of the options you'll have. As you begin to view the properties, you should consider whether the b&b has the following amenities (assuming these are important to you): private bath, temperature control, full or continental breakfast, off-street parking, daily housekeeping and the ever-important factor....location.

Let's begin with location. Proximity to the "center of action" is often a plus for many travelers; however, it sometimes comes with a drawback...noise. In our town, many visitors want to be "on Main Street," and to be sure it is a boon at the end of the day when carrying heavy shopping bags back to your room. However, guests are sometimes surprised at the street noise which lasts throughout the night (Main Street is, after all, Highway 290)! Some visitors prefer to be a few blocks off Main with a bit more privacy yet good access to Main Street. Still others prefer a place in the country.

Making this first decision will cut the number of properties you consider by as much as 2/3. A note of caution however; if location is a prime concern of yours be very detailed in your quest. For example, many Fredericksburg bed and breakfasts advertise "Located on Main Street," but what they don't tell you is they are a mile and a half from the shopping district on the west end of town. In our town, the 100-300 blocks of East Main are considered the true shopping district. So if proximity to shopping is your goal, you would be better off with a cottage 3 blocks off of Main but within the 100-300 blocks than at the property a mile and a half from shopping that sounds so convenient. Remember the old addage, "Buyer Beware."

Question number two could be whether to stay at an Inn or an individual cottage. Fredericksburg is unique in offering literally hundreds of one-couple, individual Sunday Houses or cottages in addition to numberous true multi-unit inns. One big distinction here other than the obvious over-all privacy issue is usually breakfast. In a private cottage you almost always receive a continental breakfast, left before you arrive. At a traditional "Inn" or bed and breakfast, you are often served a full gourmet breakfast at a pre-arranged time...along with other guests. So for many guests the choice comes down to continental with privacy or full-breakast served in a dining room. Either option offers lots of possibilities. But with so many different properties, there are no set rules; so check their website or ask!

One more common pitfall is something that sounds so basic but can really impact your experience: decor. Word on the street in b&b circles is that guests are increasingly looking for a "magazine spread" when they walk in the door. Nothing pleases me more than to open our guestbook and read, "When we opened the door the beautiful room just took my breath away!" Few people go to a bed and breakfast looking for the type decor they have at home...or worse, their granny's decor! However, many b&b owners are under the false impression that they can take an empty rent-house and hang out their shingle. They may stumble upon a few unsuspecting guests...but you don't want it to be you. Be sure and check the pictures on the website. I would never book a room that didn't at least show photos of the exterior of the cottage or inn and the bed. Webmasters tell me that these are the two photo's potential guests are most interested in. I would be very wary of a facility that wasn't proud to show its exterior and at least one photo of the inside of each room. Jacuzzi tubs, hot tubs, gas fireplaces, it's all out there for the taking...for those who do their homework. Spend a little extra time asking the right questions and you can have the most wonderful, relaxing getaway experience yet.

About The Author

Tammy Jordan Sikes is a former trial attorney-turned bed and breakfast owner with several b&b's in Fredericksburg, Texas in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. See www.absolutecharm.com and www.inn-on-the-creek.com

tammy@tearosequilts.com

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Your Plan For Marketing Success. How Many Megapixels Do We Need?.

2005-10-06T15:40:00.000-07:00

The most important,

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yet overlooked aspect of marketing is an actual written marketing plan A business simply cannot succeed without marketing. Whether you are a one person business or have 50 employees, you simply must have a marketing plan to succeed.

Just as a business plan is a blue print for the overall success of your business, your marketing plan is the blueprint for your marketing success. Marketing without having a clear and user-friendly marketing strategy is like stringing beads without tying a knot at the end of the string.

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Your strategy should guide your efforts for a minimum of three years; a good plan should really last ten or more years.

The marketing plan is a plan within your business plan. In the marketing plan you must quantify the benefits your customer gets from buying your product or service. You must establish the size of your market. Also, your competition must be evaluated and assessed.

In other words, you must be customer-oriented or "market driven." Your plan should explain the benefits your product or service has to your customer, how your customer will profit or gain from product or service. Explain why your customers will buy your product over those of your competitors.

A good marketing plan should contain six sections:

1. Description of the market. Who are the customers and why will they buy your product or service?

Explain what perceived need you fill in your target market. What is your market niche? How will you position your product or service? Your positioning strategy must be elaborated in detail.

Your marketing plan must show a deep knowledge and understanding of your market. Do you know all the factors that will effect your sales? Describe in detail the background of your industry, including it's size, chief characteristics, trends, and major customers. Project any changes inside or outside your industry that will affect your business.

Don't forget to describe your prospective customers in detail, including their demographics and psychographics. Remember, businesses don't buy products or services, people do. You must understand all about those decision makers.

2. Customer benefits. What are the benefits of your product or service to the customer? In talking about benefits, you must relate them to the customer and to the competitor's products or services. Here are some of the ways to do that.

Your product or service is better than the competition's because it is: (1) cheaper, (2) better quality, (3) more efficient, (4) convenient to use, (5) has fewer rejects or breakdowns, (6) reduces the customer's labor costs, (7) lowers the customer's inventory costs, (8) improves the customer's productivity, (9) improves the customer's performance, (10) saves the customer money or time or both, (11) entertains the customer, (12) improves the customer's appearance

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or health, (13) solves problems, and (14) generates profits.

3. Market Share. What are your assumptions about your market share? When explaining market share, instead of just stating what percentage of the market you intent to capture, employ a bottom-up approach. Based on sales projections, using specific customers. A common mistake made by most people discussing market share is assuming they can predict sales by gathering some general numbers on the size of the market, then projecting share from there. The old statement "we only want 1% of the market" does not cut it anymore. You must explain in detail just how you will arrive at your market share. Document your assumptions with marketing research.

4. Competition. Who is your competition? Compare their products and services to yours, and outline your strategies to sell more than they do. Explain how difficult it is to compare with you.

Don't underestimate, ignore, or downplay the competition. Everybody has competition, and if you think you don't, then you obviously don't comprehend the weaknesses of what you're trying to accomplish, and you probably won't be in business for very long.

5. The sales strategy. This is one of the most critical parts of the marketing plan. You can have the greatest technology in the world but if you can't figure out how to get it into the customer's hands, you've got nothing! The world will not beat a path to your door just because you have a better product or service! You have to sell the world on buying your product or service.

If you think of marketing as strategy and selling as tactics, you have a good idea of what you should put into your plan. How are you going to get your prospects to buy your product or service? You must describe the nuts and bolts of your selling process. What is your distribution process? How will your service and support your product?

Explain the selling process step by step, from distribution to sales to servicing of sales. What is your sales strategy? How is your company going to approach it's prospects and capitalize on it's potential? Go into detail about how your product or service will be sold and/or distributed.

How will you advertise and promote your product or service? If possible get and add the actual reaction of some prospects to your product or service? List in detail all your plans for distribution, geographical penetration, roll-out schedule, and future locations.

Discuss in detail the pricing strategy you've developed to make your product or service competitive yet still generate ample profits.

Identify your prospects, your selling strategy, the size of and the compensation for your sales force, your selling cycle, and both your short and long-term goals you want to achieve.

6. Proprietary protection and uniqueness. Explain what makes your company stand out from the rest. The degree of uniqueness is a major strength in your entire marketing strategy.

Explain the range of protection against competition, including patent and copyright protection. What is your strategy to create barriers for others in your market beyond patent and copyright protection? Describe any available technology that is superior or equal to yours. What creative technology or research are you going to do to provide future sales?

Armed with a detailed marketing plan, you can develop your creative and media strategies. With a marketing plan in place, the other two strategies virtually write themselves. With them, your marketing materials virtually write themselves, too. And your media decisions are much easier to make.

It is very important that every person in your company know each word of your marketing plan, so that they can help carry the banner forward with you. You should invite everyone in your organization to participate in the creation of the marketing plan. With everyone's involvement, before and after, you have the assurance, that everyone in your organization is completely clear about the goals and essence of the business.

You should review your marketing plan every quarter or at the minimum every six months. Make adjustments in your plan only to account for changing market conditions. The fewer changes you make, the more likely you got it right the first time. Take the time to put your marketing plan together carefully so you get it right the first time. By doing this you will assure your marketing success for years to come.

Joe Love draws on his 25 years of experience helping both individuals and companies build their businesses, increase profits, and achieve total success. He is the founder and CEO of JLM & Associates, a consulting and training organization, specializing in personal and business development. Through his seminars and lectures, Joe Love addresses thousands of men and women each year, including the executives and staffs of many of America's largest corporations, on the subjects of leadership, self-esteem, goals, achievement, and success psychology.

Reach Joe at: joe@jlmandassociates.com

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Are you having megapixel envy each time you walk by the camera section of your favorite electronics store? So do I. But, do we really need more and more pixels? The answer depends on what we intend to do with the images. First, a quick definition of megapixel:

Megapixel is a technical term for "million pixels", where a single pixel is the smallest unit of color that a camera's sensor is able to capture. The more pixels in the sensor, the sharper the image a camera can reproduce. Note that some camera specifications abbreviate megapixel as "MP".

Determine Image Use

Now then, how many of those pixels do we need? The first task in answering this question is to determine how we intend to use the images. We are mainly concerned about uses that require a high resolution digital photo. Putting a photo on the computer's screen requires a low resolution image, so any camera is sufficient, if this is our only intention. The most common need for high resolution photos is to print or develop pictures. Let us then focus on putting pictures on paper to answer our megapixel question.

Determine Largest Print Size

The second task is to determine the largest print size we would like of our photo. Sure, it would look cool to have poster-size images all over the house of our sweetheart, but are we really going to go through that expense? I assume for most of us, poster size prints fall into the "rarely or never" category. Having ruled out extreme sizes, we have the three most common photo sizes to consider.

According to online photo labs, the following minimum resolutions are sufficient to produce high quality prints:

4 x 6": 640 x 480 pixels (0.3 megapixels)
5 x 7": 1024 x 768 pixels (0.8 megapixels)
8 x 10": 1536 x 1024 pixels (1.6 megapixels)

I know from personal experience that my 3 megapixel camera is as low as I want to go for an 8 x 10" print; any less would start showing pixilation at close examination. Based on this experience, I suggest doubling the above megapixel recommendations when buying a camera. This exercise has taught us that if we only want 4 x 6" prints, then 0.6 megapixels are sufficient. Most digital cameras start at 2 megapixels, which is sufficient to produce quality prints up to 5 x 7".

Focus On Other Camera Features

Now that we know the minimum megapixel requirements for our needs, we are free to focus on other important features of the camera such as lens quality, color reproduction, optical zoom, body size, etc.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Charles Kerekes is an amateur photographer and maintains the Flying Sam Digital Photo Guide (http://FlyingSamPhoto.com) web site to help others find fun and unique digital photo finishing products and services.

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The Wire Fox Terrier. Prison Wives: The Forgotten Women In Our Society.

2005-10-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Of the thirty-three terrier breeds (most of which were first used for hunting of some sort and so came up as aggressive and lively), the Wire Fox Terrier has a reputation for scampishness. That is, the breed with the challenging personality that has been identified throughout its history as being as foxy as the fox it was once used to hunt.

Though beginning in the 15th century, it was the smooth-haired Fox Terrier was favored by the British to go to ground for small game animals, the sibling Wire Fox Terrier was right on its heels. By the 18th century�½when the English made fox hunting the ideal sport, the hunt masters (the one assigned to kill the fox) chose terriers to be by their sides, though were dismayed that the terrier�½s legs were too short to keep up with the foxhounds. This generated a great number of hunt kennels,

You Don't Know SQUAT About Job Hunting

where the smooth-haired Fox Terrier was bred, developed, and improved upon to meet the hunt masters�½ needs and standards and where�½by the mid-18th century�½the Wire Fox Terrier became an improvement on the smooth.

A cross between the smooth Fox and the rough-haired Black and Tan Terrier, the Wire Fox Terrier was now brought to the hunt, too, to be used in the hunt for fox routing. With a muscular, low-to-the-ground and compact body, the Wire Fox was an energetic and game breed (by now acknowledged as a separate breed, that is) that continued as the ideal foxer for another hundred years.

Then, in the early 1900�½s, the attraction to both varieties/breeds took on a very different bent: the Smooth Fox Terrier was discovered by the general American public�½in the 1920�½s�½on the logo for a recording company label, pictured listening to �½his master�½s voice.�½ But the Wire Fox Terrier was spotted�½in 1934�½playing the role of Asta, Nick and Nora�½s impish pet in the Thin Man, and the Wire Fox Terrier personality (and reputation) was born.

The Wire Fox Terrier is still today lively, playful, and a little foxy. Full of peppery spunk and on the hunt for play at all times may, as some have decided, suggest a challenging (ahem�½obstinate) way, but given its alertness, this also means the Wire Fox is a great watchdog and even better pet for kids.

In fact, the Wire Fox Terrier needs activity. So daily exercise and a small bit of space to romp are ideal elements in the Fox environment. Also ideal is an occasional bath for the wiry, broken haired coat and frequent brushing to prevent what little hair might mat--from the shedding that does occur.

The rest of the needs of the Wire Fox Terrier with staying powers that outlast the best fox and with the hardy and cocksure personality are simple if you are up to it�½if you are up to the antics of a terrier breed that are always a surprise. Even to the Master.

Stephanie Hetu
Happy Terrier Dogs

Westies - West Highland White Terriers - Mad About Westies

The largest selection of information about terrier dogs!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Infidelity! Cheating husbands? Cheating spouse? Extensive support for victims of extramarital affair...

Having a husband in prison is a stigma in our society. However it is possible to cope and get through this difficult time in your life. Let me help you along the way and give you a few tips.

I myself am a "Prison Wife." My husband has been in the prison system for the past 22 months. He was first in a minimum security unit, a place called "THE FARM, " with open doors, and no barbed wire. Now, he is in a half-way house, hoping to come back home the summer of 2005.

The "Prison Wife" is the forgotten one, as she waits at home for her husband. Our society takes care of the sick, the dyimg, the homeless, but the prisoner's wife is alone and forgotten.

She is faced with insurmountable problems....financial,emotional, psychological, social, stigmatization, health problems to face alone, children to take care of. She keeps the household "together," until her husband comes home. She works, pays the bills, pays the mortgage or rent, the car payments, insurances. She takes care of the children, repairs for the house, and just about everything else under the sun. Holidays and birthdays come and go. She is alone and lonely, most often faced with depression. Most find it difficult to even face another day. She lives in hiding because she is afraid the neighbors may find out. So she lies and says he is on a "business" trip, to protect herself...after all, the neighbors would be shocked to know a criminal's wife lives next door to them. And, what does she tell the children? No one wants to let their child play with a criminal's child.

When her husband leaves for prison, the wife goes through a period of "grieving." She goes through the same "grieving process" that a widow goes through. The only difference is that the widow can eventually move on, while the prison wife cannot. The Prison Wife is a "wife," without a husband. She cannot go out and socialize, and it is difficult to make new friends, as she feels she is being "unfaithful" to her husband.

After a certain amount of time (months or even years), it is acceptable in our socity for the widow to step out, and start dating and even re-marry. The Prison Wife who is faithful and dedicated to her husband does not have this option....some women wait years for their man to return...10 , even 20 or more years.

Why Women and Wives Cheat, stop your cheating wife

There are close to 2 million prisoners in our country....that makes me wonder just how many wives and loved ones are left behind and forgotten. We think about the prisoner, but never, ever, think about those left behind.....the wives, the children, the mothers, the girlfriends, to name a few. Those loved ones, who did not commit a crime, except the crime of "loving a criminal." They did not commit a crime, and yet they are punished.

When their husband goes to prison, they are not notified by the prison system where their husbamnd is. I believe there should be some notification system in this country. The wife must sit and wait, until her husband is able to place a collect call to her.

There should be support systems in this country for prison wives. There should be follow-up programs for families of the incarcerated, to see how they are coping.

I will now give you some tips on how to get through this period of your life. It is from my own personal experience, and I hope it can help you...........after all, just remember, you are not alone..........there are so many of us out there experiencing the same feelings and emotions...the same problems.

"Ways To Cope"

1. Take one day at a time........Do not think too far in advance. Try to get "through one more day."

2. Plan small projects for each day, and try to reach a goal. For instance, I put all our photos in photo albums, during the first few weeks of my husband's incarceration. When that project was complete, I started cleaning out drawers and closets.

3. Organize tour life............I re-organized bills and mail, using folders and envelopes, and I kept logs, writing everything down.

4. Keep pictures of your husband around the house....I had pictures in every room. I even had one posted on the refridgerator door.

5. Join a church group. I started baking cakes for the monthly cake sale. I enjoyed doing it, and felt I was contributing something to society.

6. Get involved...acquire hobbies. Knitting, needle-point, gardening, writing, keeping a diary....anything. just do something, even if you force yourself to do it. As time goes on, it will get easier, and you will begin to enjoy it. I planted an "Angel Garden," outside in the yard, with angel statues, and flowers. I also began writing poetry, stories and letters to the editor. I also began writing a journal, which became a very important part of my life.

7715-->7617-->7. Keep in close contact with your husband....Accept phone calls (if you can afford it, as prison phone calls are extrememly expensive), send your husband letters, cards,magazine and newspaper clippings, and computer print-outs of thingd that interest him. Send him pictures (old and new)...Men in prison love to look at pictures from home. It helps them from becoming homesick. My husband has almost 100 pictures that he keeps in photo albums, and loves to share with the inmates, and show them our family and home. If I change something around in the household,or buy anything new, iI take a picture and send it to him, so he always feels connected to our home. I also tkae pictures of the pets, the garden, and the cars.

8. Keep a notebook near the phone at all times. Jot down things you want to discuss with your husband when he calls. Remember, those are 15 minute calls, and there is a lot to say in a short period of time, so get organized beforehand.

9. Cry when you have to, but also try to stay focused. Do not be torn apart by the prison system. You are still a person, and a wife...and you need to be supportive to your husband.

10. Try to stay healthy. Eat right, avoid junk food and alcohol. Exercise. Try walking. After all, you want to be physically fit when your husband comes home!

I hope this article will be of some help to the wives and loved ones of prisoners, as they await their loved one while he is in prison.

My name is Frances Russo,RN,BSN,MA. I am a retired Registered Nurse,who is now legally- blind , and does free-lance writing, as a hobby. I enjoy writing short stories for magazines and poetry. During my life, I enjoyed education, and international travel, having travelled to 28 countries. I've lived in Manhattan, California, Las Vegas, and New Jersey. My husband is currently within the prison system, and I enjoy writing a journal, which has become quite popular. It is called "Reflections Of A Prison Wife." Please visit my web-site! http://journals.aol.com/crystalmoon222/reflectionsofaprisonwife/

Over 5800 have read my journal, leaving comments and identifying with it. They find strength in my journal. I have recently been interviewed by 2 newspapers, and my story will soon be published , along with photos (ASBURY PARK PRESS AND THE PRESS OF ATLANTIC CITY). My journal is the basis of a book I am writing.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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A Mother's Day Prayer! Mamma Whispered Softly!. Home Based Business Ireland.

2005-10-02T17:37:00.000-07:00

Patty Lovelace Country Music

Verse #1
Through the back window of a 59 wagon
I watched my best friend Jannie slippin away
I kept on waving, til I couldn't see her
And through my tears I asked again
Why we couldn't stay

Chorus
Mamma whispered softly, time will ease your pain
Life's about changing nothing stays the same

Goodbye...

And she said, how can I help you say goodbye?
It's ok to hurt and it's ok to cry
Come let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you say goodbye?

Verse #2
I sit on our bed, he packed his suitcase
I held a picture of our wedding day
His hands were trembling, we both were crying
He kissed me gently and he quickly walked away

Chorus
I called up mamma she said time will ease your pain
Life's about changing nothing stays the same
She said, how can I help you say goodbye?
It's ok to hurt its ok to cry
Come let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you say good-bye?

Verse #3
Sittin with Mamma alone in her bedroom
She opened her eyes and then squeezed my hand
She said, I have to go now, my time is over
And with her final words she tried to help me understand

Chorus
Mamma whispered softly, time will ease your pain
Life's about changing nothing stays the same
And she said, how can I help you say goodbye?
It's ok to hurt; it's ok to cry
Come let me hold you and I will try
How can I help you say goodbye?

Today we are recognizing Mother's Day. Let us remind ourselves that nothing can be more strengthening than a mother's love for her child. And no love could be greater than Mary's love for her son, Jesus.

I often wonder what was Mary thinking when she watched her son being crucified that day upon the cross? Was she thinking of the times Jesus was a child and his feelings were hurt each time they move from city to city?

What about thetime when one of Jesus' closest friends betrayed him and he had to walk away from the relationship. She was there with a hug of support? Or maybe she was thinking of the time when Jesus couldn't understand why death had to come in life? Each time she was there to offer him strength of a shoulder, the love of an unconditional heart, and a word of comfort.

But, what was Jesus thinking as he hung there on the cross looking down at his weeping mother? Thank you mamma for the kisses when I fell and hurt myself on the gravel in the driveway.

Thank you mamma for helping me understand that loving and losing is better than not loving at all.

And thank you mamma for being here when death is so hard to face. I have to think in some place down deep in Jesus' heart through all the pain and suffering his body was going through at the time physically while he looked down and realized his mother was there he remembered;

Mamma whispered softly, time will ease your pain Life's about changing nothing stays the same And she said, how can I help you say goodbye? It's ok to hurt; it's ok to cry Come let me hold you and I will try How can I help you say goodbye?

Back then as it is today, mammas give us strength, love and many times understanding when we need it the most. Let us today and everyday remembert that if it wasn't for our mothers, changes in life, hurts on the play grounds, and tears from our hearts may be just too unbearable for us to take. Thank you mamma for loving us, but most of all thank you for being there at the foot of the cross and loving Jesus Christ.

Greg Ryan is a best selling author of the Changing from the INSIDE OUT series. A powerful five step plan to better your life, get healthier, and have more energy!

For FREE mini Course click here! http://www.resolutions.bz

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Working at Home in Ireland is growing at a phenomenal pace. The beauty of it is that your time is your own and you can dig in anytime you want. Even Large multinationals are now seeing the benefits of employing people in the home workplace.

Because of the vast improvement of communications in the last 10-15 years, the home is now becoming its own office or company in its own right. All of the machines and instruments that were once only located in the work office can now be located and used just as efficiently in the home office. Powerful computers, fax machines and internet connections can now be easily installed in the home.

Discipline and honesty are huge traits that have to be addressed when working from home. Procrastinating your work is not a problem as long as the work gets completed. When working from home, the important matter is not when the work is done, it is that the actual work is being done.

Many Irish entrepreneurs that work from home will tell you that if they have missed work by running some errands during the day, they will complete the work later on that evening or they will do extra the following day. Until you reach a point in your life where you can pick and choose when and where you work, discipline is the foundation on which your work at home business will thrive.

If you have a full time job and are insecure about trying a work at home job, I would first suggest doing it part time. By doing it part time you will start to understand if this life is for you or not.

There is definitely people (of which I am not) that love the great out-doors and want to be constantly out of the house 9-5 Monday to Friday. No matter how good an opportunity came along, these people still would not like to do it. On the other hand I believe there is the majority crying out for change. These are the people that would love to try something new if it only would increase the quality of their lives.

These people are the new leaders in internet and network marketing. These people are the people that provide the real determination to succeed in their irish home based businesses. By reading this article, if you think you are one of these people, then you are in the right place. Give your home based business a try, you have nothing to lose only a regret that you didn't start it sooner!

Author Jack Foley works from home in Ireland

One-Eyed Jack's Power-Blackjack System! Revolutionary Blackjack Card Counting System. Casino Money M...

For more articles and information about Jack's home business, visit Jack's website: http://www.residual-income-home-based-business.com/

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Why Are Mortgage Notes Discounted Anyway?. Florida a Sporting Powerhouse.

2005-09-30T15:49:00.000-07:00

The smarter way to play the Euro MIllions lottery and the UK National lottery

When real estate note brokers purchase partially paid notes, they pay the note holder a discounted price after factoring in the time value of money, the payer history, and property condition.

If there is still a significant period of time left for the payer to make payments, the future payments are not worth the same amount in current dollars. Calculations are made to equate all the payments into current value, which is how the discount is determined.

Try Our Note Brokering - 101 Intro Course!

After purchasing notes at a discounted price, note brokers try to restructure the loan and increase its value. Increasing the value of the loan requires the payer to refinance or increase payments, which requires a new contract.

Factoring the same concept of time value of money, we can understand how increasing payments now creates more value. The note can then be sold for a higher price.

Discounts must be taken from the loan amount due to inflation and the time value of money. There may still be years left on the loan repayment, but the payments far in the future are not worth the same amount in dollars today.

Calculations are made using special formulas to equate the future payment amounts into today's prices, making today's price discounted significantly.

On the other side of the coin, notes that are well seasoned can fetch near remaining balance face value.

Additional Major Reason Notes Are Discounted Although I am a broker myself, I put this site here because I want to bring you a clear understanding (from an insider's perspective) of the nuts and bolts mechanics of how the secondary market mortgage note industry works.

A major reason many people are turned off from selling their real estate notes is because of the discount factor......but what you probably don't understand is that when you use a broker, like myself or any other broker anywhere, you pay additional fees that further drive down the amount of money you walk away from the table with. Significantly.

Let me give you an example:

You have a $50,000 note you need to sell. Although you could sell only a few payments or the whole note, for this example, let's say you wish to sell the whole note.

You do a search on the internet and find a long list of brokers hawking phrases at you like, We can get you top dollar for your note..." and the like. So you choose one and give them basic information about your note so that they can give you a quote on what you could expect to receive for your note.

So, the broker calls you back after speaking with an "actual investor" about your note. The investor has told the broker that he'll pay, say $41,000 for your note. Your broker says to you, "We can pay you $37,500 for your note".

He explains the whole reason notes are discounted but never mentions that other $3,500 discount you had to take because of his broker fee. So, without ever discussing fees, you just paid $3,500 to have a guy make a phone call on your behalf to an "actual note buyer/investor.

A Smarter Way To Sell Your Note

What I am about to reveal to you is the subject of many nasty emails I get from other brokers....angry brokers. Angry because what I am about to tell you takes money out of their pockets and back into yours.

All brokers are in possession of a "little black book" of the "real note buyers and investors". Private individuals mostly but it also includes institutional note buyers. Check it out yourself. It's the $67 Solution!

www.mortgagenotecash.com/directaccess.htm

Frederick

Michael Webb's Relationship ebook collection

Webb is a Certified Cash Flow Consultant and is President of Webb Funding Group, a small debt brokerage agency he runs with his wife, Kashita Webb

Get more information about this and other information by visiting their website at: http://www.mortgagenotecash.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

Florida is one of the most Southern of all the United States. It is known as the Sunshine State for it's warm weather and pacific climate. "Florida" is a Spanish adjective which means "flowery". Florida was discovered by a Spanish explorer during Easter, which in spanish is called Pascua Florida.

Major Cities and Towns in Florida are: Jacksonville, Miami, Orlando, Tallahassee, and Tampa.

Because of Florida's climate it has become the traditional home for several Major League Baseball teams spring training. In 2004, these are all of the major league teams that Florida hosted for spring training:

Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World
Baltimore Orioles in Fort Lauderdale
Boston Red Sox in Fort Myers
Cincinnati Reds in Sarasota
Cleveland Indians in Winter Haven
Detroit Tigers in Lakeland
Florida Marlins in Jupiter
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Houston Astros in Kissimmee
Los Angeles Dodgers in Vero Beach
Minnesota Twins in Fort Myers
New York Mets in Port St. Lucie
New York Yankees in Tampa
Philadelphia Phillies in Clearwater
Pittsburgh Pirates in Bradenton
Saint Louis Cardinals in Jupiter
Tampa Bay Devil Rays in St. Petersburg
Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin
Washington Nationals in Viera

Not only does Florida Host alot of the major sports teams in the United States it is also home to several of it's own teams:

National Football League
- Jacksonville Jaguars
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Miami Dolphins
National Basketball Association
- Orlando Magic
- Miami Heat

National Hockey League
- Tampa Bay Lightning
- Florida Panthers
Major League Baseball
- Tampa Bay Devil Rays
- Florida Marlins

Arena Football League
- Orlando Predators
- Tampa Bay Storm

Ryan Fyfe is the owner and operator of Pixibot. Which is a great web directory and information center for information on all types of topics.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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VOIP. Brand Strategy - Brand Identity Guru.

2005-09-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

This article

This is the newly published book by the son of Grandmaster Ip Man

contains the excellent information about the Voice Over IP Protocol.

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology is the wave of the future in terms of telephone communication via the Internet. VoIP has several advantages over circuit-switched technology used by local phone companies. Circuit-switched technology uses a 'permanent' connection between the caller and callee, which requires a huge amount of bandwidth for each call.

This type of technology can only carry certain types of calls, such as telephone to telephone. Also, the hardware circuit-switched networks need to run effectively are extremely expensive, mostly because voice and data services must be supported on different wires. Therefore, each service needs separate hardware to accommodate the voice and data types of traffic. Needless to say, your local phone company then passes the costs of building and maintaining a circuit-switched network to the you, the consumer. Unforturnately, this equals higher rates for your telephone services.

VoIP - How Does it Work?

VoIP technology is when phone calls travel networks using Internet Protocol (IP). What this means is that the calls are passed through the Internet or privately managed data networks that are using IP to send the calls from one location to the other. So whether the call is passed through the Internet or data networks, the voice stream is broken down into packets, compressed, and sent toward their final destination by several different routes.

This is where circuit-switch technology and IP technology differ, in that circuit-switched technology uses a 'permanent' connection for the entire phone call. Once the call reaches the callee, the voice stream packets are reassembled, decompressed, and switched back into a voice stream by several hardware and software elements, depending on the call's final destination. The type of software and hardware needed to start and end a phone call is determined by where the call originated, such as a PC, phone, or an Integrated Access Device (IAD) and whether the call is going to be completed on a PC, telephone, or IAD.

ADVANTAGES OF VoIP

The following is a list of the numerous advantages for using VoIP:

�½ Voice and data can be sent over the same lines.

�½ 8 time the number of phone calls can be placed on those lines than in the circuit-switched environment.

�½ Quality of sound is excellent.

�½ Lower operating costs due to reduced hardware requirements and a more efficient network infrastructure.

�½ Lower cost structures enable lower rates than the traditional telephone companies.

�½ Use of different devices to talk to one another.

This article is submitted by Kashif Raza http://www.networkingtutorials.net

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

World class top end dishes with America's Most Wanted secret Recipes

If you could have the secret recipe and all the manufacturing facilities of Coca Cola but not the Coca Cola brand-or have its famous brand but no facilities-which would you choose? It's not a trick question. But it demonstrates the power of the brand. Walk into any bank and say "hi I'm Coca Cola, how about a loan"!

Let me ask another way. If you could have all the products or services your company produces, but not its name and brand, are you confident they would sell? The truth is, people don't only buy products and services. They buy promises and reputations-what brands represent.

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I'm the Brand Identity Guru. I've spent most of my professional life helping companies tap into the strength of their brands. Developing a strong brand identity is critical to any company's success. Integrating brand-conscious thinking into communications is so critical, so synergistic, yet it's seldom done by design groups and advertising agencies.

Why? It's just not what they do. Graphic Designers don't understand positioning or branding. And ad agencies are more interested in placing ads in the media.

Free Car - Award Winning Free Car Program

Or creating work that wins awards- for them.

A branding company's total focus, their entire business practice, is based on the maxim that strong brands (new or repositioned) make companies more successful.

Pick the brain of a professional branding consultant. It's bound to spur some powerful ideas. Whether you need to brand or re-brand products, services or the corporation itself, introduce new products or services or reposition existing ones-there's a chance to lay a strategic foundation to re-energize your entire company.

Any qualified branding consultant can strengthen your company's brand identity for sure.

To measure how strong your brand is copy and paste: (http://brandidentityguru.com/bightml/brandmasterpiece.html). Then click "Take the brand strength test". This is a short survey that measures the strength of any company's brand. It's a great tool to see where you are today.

Scott White is President of Brand Identity Guru (http://www.brandidentityguru.com), a leading brand consulting and market research firm located in Easton, Massachusetts, USA, near Boston. Brand Identity Guru specializes in creating corporate and product brands that increase sales, market share, customer loyalty, and brand valuation.

Over the course of his 15-year branding career, Scott White has worked in a wide variety of industries: high-tech, manufacturing, computer hardware and software, telecommunications, banking, restaurants, fashion, healthcare, Internet, retail, and service businesses, as well as numerous non-profit organizations.

Brand Identity Guru clients include: Sun Life Financial, Coca Cola, HP, Sun, Nordstrom, American Federal Mortgage, Simon (America's largest shopping mall manager) and many others, including numerous emerging growth companies.

Scott White is a very enthusiastic speaker and has the gift of being able to explain the principles of branding in a compelling and entertaining manner so that people at all levels can understand.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/

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