Why Are College Football Authorities Against Playoffs?

By Nishan Wilde

As an avid college football fan, I have been wanting to address this issue for a while now. My question is this - why is there no post-season playoff in college football? There has been much speculation over the past few years that points to the eventual implementation of a playoff, but so far nothing has come to fruition. With so many reasons for a playoff, I simply can’t fathom why college football authorities are so against playoffs. What reasons you ask? Well, here are just a few:

1. Every other sport in America does it. Why do you think that is? Because it makes sense! What playoffs provide that the current bowl-game program does not is a clear-cut winner. There is never any debate as to who deserves the title unlike in the BCS bowl series.

2. Sometimes the polls disagree over who should be in the title game. Currently, three polls are used to determine the championship match-up - the AP poll, the BCS poll and the Coaches poll. In the past, these polls have disagreed about rankings. If these supposed flawless, algorithm-run super computers can’t decide on the top two teams, how are we supposed to know?

3. Scheduling - There are only 11 or 12 regular season games for each team during the college football season. This means that some of the best teams in the country simply don’t have enough room in their schedule to play other great teams. If they don’t ever play each other (like they would in a playoff), then there is no way to know who is the best aside from mere speculation.

4. Every year some team or another gets left out of the title race because of the limited number of teams (2) vying for the No. 1 spot. Last year, Boise State went 13-0, but were snubbed for a chance at the championship. Now, were they as good as Ohio State or Florida? Maybe, maybe not. But we can’t know for sure. This is just one more reason why there should be a playoff - so teams with perfect records can square off against each other in order to find out who is really the best.

5. Last but not least, let’s forget about being fair and giving all the deserving teams a shot at the championship. Why should there be a playoff? Because it would be the most exciting event of the year, that’s why. Just think about the matchups - USC vs. Oklahoma, LSU vs. Wisconsin, Florida vs. West Virginia, and Texas vs. Michigan. Who wouldn’t want to watch? I am on the verge of drooling just thinking about it.

To sum up, without a playoff we can never really know who is the best team in college football.
We can know who is the better of two good teams, chosen by computers to compete in the championship game. But we can never know who is the outright best in the entire country.

On the other hand, there have been certain arguments against a playoff in the past. But as I see it, these arguments do not hold water anymore. First, it used to be true that the NCAA didn’t want the season to go past January 1st. But seeing as how the bowl games go well into the first week of January, that argument can be thrown out the window. Second, college football authorities are worried that an extension of the season to accommodate a playoff would make the season too long, subjecting the players to an overly rough season. But even in a playoff system, only 4 teams would play more games than they do now. Furthermore, half of those would play only 1 more game. Come on!!! College football players, especially the ones who play for the best teams in the nation, can handle an extra game or two.

And here’s the kicker - more games = more money.

I just don’t see a downside. Implementing a playoff structure to college football would bring in more money for those involved and more attention to the game as a whole. Conversely, the changes (# of games and length of season) would hardly be noticeable. I think that college football does, in fact, have a playoff in the future. However, the powers that be need to hurry up and do it already. There are so many reasons for a playoff and none against it.

Nishan Wilde is VP of Sales at RobbinsSports.com, an online resource for Gym Bags and Portable Scoreboards

Post Partum Depression - The Uninvited Guest

By Jedidiah J Taylor

Post partum depression is the uninvited guest that creeps its way into our lives at our most vulnerable moments. Not only are we tired from having a new baby, but we are very emotional and stressed. Understanding what post partum depression is can be an actual life saver for those who are pregnant and expecting. If I would have understood the symptoms of post partum depression before it crept into my life, I wouldn’t have almost wasted two years of my life and came close to wanting to just end it.

The reason I described post partum depression as the uninvited guest is because of course it messes with not only our mental health, our physical health, as well as people on the outside, such as our kids and husbands. There are many forms of post partum depression, ranging from mild to severe, from hearing voices to having panic attacks and fearing impending death.

After I had my third son, I started feeling like I was going to die. I literally felt the heart thumping, so I thought I was having a heart attack and then other times I would get weak on one side, so then I thought I was having a stroke. Even after many trips to the ER and my doctor’s office, I still didn’t believe that all that was happening to me was post partum anxiety/hypochondria. I finally realized after months of fighting this that I could overcome it by just understanding what my symptoms were and why. After I had my fourth child, I knew for a fact that I would have it happen again, and sure enough it has. My daughter is now 14 months old and I still have panic attacks and hypochondria.

I suggest to anyone that if you are pregnant and having a baby, then you should read up on post partum depression so that you can prepare yourself in case it may occur. Get to the doctor if symptoms occur and try to fight it!

I am a survivor of postpartum depression. I am also the mother of four. I have lots of advice on information pertaining to babies and toddlers. If you would like to see more, feel free to visit my website at http://www.diaperyears.com

Christy Taylor, whom has experienced many ups and downs of post partum is also the happy mother of four children. For more information on babies and toddlers, feel free to visit her website at http://www.diaperyears.com

Handling Others' Anger Effectively

By Emily Bouchard

Defusing Emotional Landmines
Have you ever been in the middle of a conversation only to have it unexpectedly turn into an argument? Have you ever said something kind to someone dear to you, only to be met with a surprisingly angry response? Have you ever felt like you were walking on egg-shells around someone in your home who seemed like a time-bomb ready to go off any minute? Chances are, especially if you have spent any time in a blended family, that you have experienced all of these situations, many times over.

There are many underlying emotions of hurt, disappointment, anger, and sadness just below the surface - waiting for a safe enough place to be expressed. The more safety and love you provide, the more likely you will meet up with what I call the discharge of your loved-one's emotions.

Here are some tricks to not being caught so off-guard (as well as not having to feel so guarded all the time). People actually let you know in a number of ways that they are seething below the surface - some obvious, some not even apparent to the person whose buttons have been pushed.
Obvious indications are their body language: arms crossed over their chest, scowling brow, frown and/or clenched jaw, and slouching posture (even more so than usual for teens). Other obvious indicators are rolling of the eyes, being shot a look-that-could-kill, and particularly biting sarcasm aimed at you.

The not so obvious indications can be found in their particular word choice. If you are in conversation with someone and they use the words "always" and/or "never", you can bet that they are experiencing unexpressed anger below the surface, and they may not even be aware of it themselves. When someone is expressing thoughts of always and never to you, let those words be a clue that they are probably not being rational. Trying to respond with helpful advice or with a defense proving their statements invalid will only serve to fuel the fire of their emotions and you'll have a full blown argument on your hands.

Action Step
If your loved one is giving clues of sub-surface anger, your best bet is to simply reflect back to them what they are saying. "So you feel that..." and restate what they've said. You can also choose safety-producing statements, such as: "Tell me more", "What's that like for you?" and "Thank you for telling me that." If you want to share your own thoughts or suggestions, you can try something like: "May I offer you an additional thought?" If the answer is yes, then say "How possible is it that . . .(and add your thought)". But be prepared for their emotions to flare even more if they do not like what you have to say.

The more prepared you are to deal with strong emotions, the less anxious you will feel around outbursts, and the more peaceful you will be as you help to navigate and support your loved ones from a place of pain to a place of peace. NOTE: Use of this article requires links to be intact.

Emily Bouchard, has over 18 years of experience in working with children and families to deal with problems. Emily is also a loving stepmother to two young women who were teenagers when she entered their lives. She publishes a free Blended Families newsletter. Don't miss her Handling Anger Effectively page.

Transformers Toys Are Hot Collectibles

By Matthew Ohms

Transformers, the movie recently caused a stir in the US box office, and ever since I can remember, as I kid I had dozens of transformers toys. Today transformers toys have become collectable items, and there is a market for old transformer toys, I remember my first ever transformer toy was a green tank. Recently I was surprised to find out that the tank was now worth nearly $500! If you have been smart enough to hold on to your transformer toys then you should log on to different sites to know how much your transformer toy is worth.

Contrary to popular belief transformer toys too are catalogued based on their year of manufacture; the earliest being transformers manufactured between 1984 and 1990. In fact if you have a transformer toy that was manufactured between 1984 and 1990, then you will be surprised to know that a lot of the transformers from that time are now collector’s item and can go for upwards of $100. Transformer toys have been popular in countries like Japan, USA and Canada; in fact a majority of transformer toy collectors are in Japan, however the demand for transformer toys in America is also on the rise.

Depending on the condition of the toy and also the year of manufacture a transformer toy can be worth a lot, in fact if you are lucky to be the owner of a limited series transformer Autobot from the 1984 series, an original unopened transformer from the first generation of transformers could be worth close to $1000.

Another popular collectors item in transformer toys are ‘bootleg’ transformers, these toys are actually made for a particular country, since they are not authorized for distribution in countries like the US or Canada, they are very rare to find. Another misconception with ‘bootleg’ transformers is that they are poor quality copies; this is not true sometimes the ‘bootleg’ transformers are superior in quality to authorized transformers products. If you have a transformer toy that was not an authorized transformers product, then you might just be in possession of a rare product and you should hold on to it.

With so many transformers toys produced in the past 3 decades it’s become increasingly difficult to keep up with all the product lines, in fact in Japan alone there are some very interesting transformers available. One of the most controversial lines of transformer toys called the Kiss Players line is considered to be for adults only and some toys are pornographic in nature. Once again since this was a limited series created in Japan alone, this makes for a popular collector’s item.

If you are looking for transformers toys or other collectables related to transformers, you can visit sites like transformersnation.com that offer quality transformer toys, and offer transformers toys that attract both first time buyers and collectors alike. If you are still not sure what you are looking for, or how much your transformer toy is worth, you can always search for other transformers related articles and products online and find out what your transformer toy is worth today.

Matthew Ryan is the author of this article on Transformer Toys. Find more information about Transformer Toys here.

Amazing Copywriting For The Web - The Secret to Amazing Copywriting

By Sean R Mize

Want to know the secret to amazing copywriting for the web? Then read on to know some tips and techniques to start creating ads that actually sell! First, you should be aimed at gaining as much traffic as possible. How? Create a keyword rich title and make an excellent article out of it.
Keep in mind, the first three to five words of your title will determine your article’s success in the search engine rankings. Do away with words that only serve as garbage to your article.

Add images that capture your reader’s imagination or an appealing headline. It would be best if it is a combination of both. Before you start, try to imagine what will be the overall concept of your blog. Then write first a draft to check what aspects are missing. In that way, you will view all the angles and check all the flaws in your ad.

One of your goals is to convince or promote your product and service so make sure you captivate them by sending the most appropriate message. Persuasion is affected by personal emotions so your primary objective is to relay the information in the most appealing manner.
Some copywriters use various tools and software to enhance their ad’s overall impact. These are just some of the ways to amazing copywriting for the web. You can also try to discover some for your own convenience. Finally, mention all the benefits of your product.

Make it a point to include genuine testimonials or reviews to erase doubts and concerns. Promote your product as if it was the best solution to your clients. Every word you include is crucial so make your sentences truthful. Reinforce and emphasize some points by converting them to bulleted text. So who says that amazing copywriting for the web is that hard? It is never too difficult, so start making a breakthrough and work your way to copywriting success.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘
Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Jazz Guitar Strings - The Right Ones For That Perfect Sound

By Brian Trainer

Serious jazz players are quite particular about the jazz guitar strings they choose and use. They expect the exact sound they want. There are different kinds of jazz guitar strings available with reputed manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, etc. Finally it all boils down to choosing the jazz guitar strings that sound just right for the user.

Types Of Jazz Guitar Strings

Flatwound – probably the most popular for Swing. These are usually flat ribbon wound strings with a polished nickel surface giving the player the flexibility and the kind of smooth sound that is expected.

Roundwound – for BeBop jazz. While several jazz players don’t really go for roundwound strings, manufacturers like Thomastik-Infeld have wooed jazz players with the way they manufacture these. These strings are dense, although of thin diameter and play wonderfully at high frequencies, so much so that the tone has the purity of piano notes.

Most high quality jazz guitar strings are crafted with a core of carbon steel rather than the usual hex cores. This makes them play better and also vibrates well without the ‘preferred motion axis’. These string ends are wrapped in silk to keep the winding intact and to also increase their life.

For those who play blues jazz - and practically everyone who plays jazz does play the blues – the flatwound chrome strings they use are the most preferred. This is because these strings do not create the finger noise associated with other strings, resulting in easy play and better style. But the half round wounds are also popularly used, as they seem smoother and there is more clarity of sound with them compared to flatwounds, making them sound great when playing the blues.
Making The Choice For Jazz Guitar Strings

It is vital, as any jazz guitar player knows, to choose the strings that work best for you, and also make sure you replace them properly when necessary to avoid your guitar detuning. The main things to remember in making your choice are: the brand you select, the composition of the strings, string gauge, and the type of winding.

As far as brand is concerned, you can try a few and choose the ones you feel most comfortable with. As mentioned earlier, the most reputed are Thomastik-Infeld, D’Addario, Elixir, and others.

Guitar strings are usually composed of a core high carbon steel wire with a wrap wire wound around them, which influences the sound of the guitar strings. This material could be nickel, considered the best, or stainless steel for brighter tones, or phosphor bronze for a warmer sound mostly used in acoustic guitar strings. Most classical guitars have nylon strings.

String Gauge refers to the diameter of the first and last guitar string since most guitar strings are sold as sets. Jazz guitar string sets are usually available as .012 – 0.054-inch diameter, which is heavier than those used for other music styles, so that they result in a thicker tone with increased sustain. Most jazz guitarists just starting out to play use lighter sets to first get used to them and then move on to the heavier type. It should be borne in mind that as you progress to an advanced playing level, and switch to a string set of heavier gauge, you must also adjust your guitar neck and the intonation. The roundwound type of strings have a louder and brighter sound while the flatwound type has a flat ribbon wire with duller, smoother sound. Most jazz guitar strings are of the flatwound type.

Some Jazz Guitar String Maintenance Tips
To get your jazz guitar strings to last longer, remember to wipe them down using a dry cloth after each playing session. It is better to replace your strings just as they begin to wear out. Preferably change the entire set since changing just that one broken string can lose the sync of your sound.

ATTENTION: Motivated improvising guitar players...

Are you a jazz, rock, blues or fusion guitarist interested in internalizing blues scales? Would you like to discover the secrets to learning pentatonic guitar scales? If you are serious about improving your guitar scale knowledge and improvising, then go to:

http://www.guitarscalemastery.com/

Productive Blogging - 4 Ways To Jumpstart Your Blogging Income

By Sean R Mize

The cyberspace has successfully created various venues that online users can take advantage of in order to earn money. Who would have thought that an online diary can bring you profit? Here are the best proven ways on how you can jumpstart your career in blogging:

1. If your primary objective is to earn money, make sure that your blog can eventually create a solid following. You can do this by knowing the most searched topics on the web and on-demand information. Attract online users by giving them the information they exactly need and you'll be sure to expand your reader base in no time.

2. Advertise your blog. The most cost-effective ways of promoting your blog is through forums, social networking sites, and article submission. The secret is identifying the sites where your target market can be usually found. Post comments or start a thread on these forums and establish your expertise and build your credibility. If permitted, leave the URL of your blog on each of your post. This is the easiest way of creating a quality one-way link to your blog.

3. Advertise. Post ads on your blog and earn money each time these ads are click by your visitors. These ads must compliment your site. If you are writing about gadgets, post ads about cell phones, PDAs, iPod, etc. To maximize your ad earnings, learn how to drive traffic to your blog. Various traffic generating techniques can be utilized such as link building, SEO, etc.

4. Update your blog regularly. Blogs, like forums, are normally indexed by search engines because they are regularly updated. Post articles on your blog on a regular basis, daily if possible. Give your online readers a reason to visit your blog over and over again.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘
Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Job Search Strategies - Resumes That Rock - Seven Tips For Creating a World Class Resume

By Jane Trevaskis

First, and foremost, remember than a resume is used to screen out, not in. It is used to reduce the foot-high pile to a manageable handful. And this function is usually performed by someone other than the hiring manager. So, your goal is to get past this step to the person who can actually decide to hire you. Most people create a resume at the beginning of their career and simply update it from then on. Now might be a good time to take another look at yours. Here are seven tips on how to best translate your accomplishments into a resume.

1. Start with a summary. I know you think of a summary as the ending of a document. Think of this more like an executive summary at the beginning of a proposal. Most importantly, it is the only part of your resume that is almost always read. It’s the portion where you talk about the scope of your career and those capabilities that won’t fit into a specific accomplishment bullet.

2. Focus on accomplishments rather than responsibilities. You want your resume to reflect the successes you have had throughout your career. It’s much more effective to say that you brought in 150% of sales goal than to say you were responsible for sales in the southeast region. Review your career and focus in on the Situation you were presented with, the Actions you took and the Outcome you produced.

3. Never more than two pages. Most people who see lots of resumes automatically discard any that exceed two pages. If you are a recent college graduate, one page is probably plenty, but more than two is a real no-no. The only exceptions are academia and organizations that are closely related to academia. Then it is frequently called a curriculum vitae (or c.v.) instead of a resume.

4. Make it easy to read. If it’s hard to read, most people won't even try. Beginning all sections of the resume with action verbs helps. You can find lists of action verbs specific to your profession from books in the career section of your local bookstore on just google the term “keywords” and you'll get more than you could ever use. People scan resumes, they don’t read them. Most people who read lots of resumes spend less than 10 seconds on the first pass through – and that’s the one when they reduce the number of resumes that will be read more thoroughly from, for instance, 100 to 10. So, scan your resume yourself to make sure that your points get across in a less-than-thorough read.

5. References available upon request – NOT. Everybody knows that references are available and, since you have limited space on a resume, you don't need to waste the space. But you do have to have identified at least six people willing to serve as a reference and be able to provide their names and contact information within 24 hours of a request.

6. Education. The degrees you hold are important but, if your major wasn't relevant to this opportunity, don’t mention it. If you are looking for a job in a technical arena and your degree is in art history, it's better to just skip it. And if your degree is more than five years old, the date doesn’t go on your resume. However, both the institution you attended and the degree you earned are very important.

7. Optional Sections and Addendum. The final section of a resume is where you put those other parts of your background that are applicable. This section could list certifications, memberships (both professional associations and applicable volunteer involvement), awards, military experience, or technical skills. If you have an overload of one kind of optional information (patents, publications, technical skills, etc.) it can become a one-page addendum that you won’t give to everyone. However, an addendum must focus on only one subject – it is definitely not a third page of your resume. One addendum per resume.

Now, take a look at your current resume and spruce it up with these tips.

With your permission, I’d like to offer you a free report: Action Verbs for Resumes. You can download it by going to http://www.acatalystinyoursuccess.com/Report_Action_Verbs.html

If you would like to hear more about resumes and the other tools you need to conduct a successful job search visit http://www.acatalystinyoursuccess.com/Career_Home_Page.html
From Jane Trevaskis and Success-Catalyst.com

A Rough Guide to Surviving the Dreaded Interview

By Ian F Harris

Jobs are often lost at what a jockey would call the ‘first fence’. The interview. One simple act of thoughtlessness or carelessness, caused by being unprepared could see that much wanted position in a high-flying company, lost forever. Not only that, confidence damaged beyond repair. But have no fear, I am here, with five important ‘Do’s’ that should have you sailing through the interrogation and into your own office with comfy adjustable chair with secretary.

• Scrub up good.
It’s a complete waste of time turning up like you’re off to the Glastonbury festival. No matter how ‘cool’ you think you look you will not be taken seriously. Make an effort. Comb your hair.
Clean your shoes –no trainers. And yes, swallow your disgust and buy that most useless of objects, a tie.

• Do your research (or at the very least, sound like you have).
You’ve applied for the job so sound like you know what you are talking about. If need be pretend you know about the company. Be confident. Remember this is not a one-way conversation. This is your chance to show interest and ask questions. Stick with questions about the business, don’t ask about holidays or time off. Sound authoritative, almost like it’s second nature but don’t get too cocky. It is not advisable to offer your opinion on how the business ought to be run or restructured.

• Be humble.
Give the impression that you are willing to learn and are in fact excited about the prospect being taught by such a well known figure (the interviewer) in the business, but don’t go too far, no-one likes a brown-noser.

• Nod and stare.
There’s nothing wrong with showing that the interviewer has your attention, so concentrate on nodding at the right moment or dropping in an odd ‘I see’ accompanied by an occasional chin rub which will help. This is the equivalent of giving a horse a lump of sugar, with the interviewer convinced he/she is the most interesting person in the world. As for the stare, this is quite an art and takes practice. What is wanted is an ‘interested stare’ not a ‘mad or crazy stare’. Once again showing that the interviewer has your undivided attention. Word of warning. If your interviewer is a woman resist the urge to stare at her breasts.

• Bathroom.
Before the interview begins go the bathroom, where you should take a leak or a dump. Empty your bowel. Then wash your hands and face and (this is most important) take time out to expel all bodily gases (try to do this when the bathroom is empty).

So there you are, five important must – do’s before what could be the biggest life changing event of your life. So good luck, deep breaths and remember, if you don’t get the job, it’s not the end of the world. Go to pub, get drunk, go home, go to bed.

Ian Harris. http://www.theacmesunshinecompany.com
Ian Harris lives in Shakespeare country (Stratford upon Avon) in the UK and loves to write, unfortunately not to William's standard, although he believes when he dies, like Will his work will be rediscovered and he will be recognized at last.

The Great Fruit Inspector

By Kathy Carlton Willis

Steve Carney
The Man Behind
The Great Fruit Inspector

In the fall of 1999, God began to stir Steve Carney’s heart concerning the end times, particularly the area of judgments leading up to the seven year tribulation period mentioned in Daniel and Revelation. God began to give revelation concerning why catastrophic events occur. The message concerning judgment and discipline burned in his heart. Carney explains it this way, “He [God] created such an urgency within me, it stirred me out of complacency and into action.”
Carney began to send letters to family, friends, and some church leaders, sharing this message.
Each month as he sat to write, he received revelation from the Bible. So much material accumulated from these monthly letters that the author actually has enough for three books, and Carney plans to work on these in the future months.

Carney says that in the fall of 1999 he sensed an urgency to intercede in prayer and warn others of the coming judgments. He knew that more tragedies were soon to occur which would make a lasting impact. He doubted this calling to warn others, didn’t surrender to the leading of the Holy Spirit, and faltered in his prayer life. His transparency is evident when he said, “When I sensed the importance of the message and magnitude of the events, which were about to occur, I had to battle fear and tried to hide in my comfort zone. Deep inside, I knew I was running from what God wanted me to do.” After 9/11 occurred, he repented and received more insight in the area of judgment. This is when he initiated monthly letter writing, which then led to the writing of The Great Fruit Inspector.

In the book, Carney encourages others by saying that God’s judgments are always avoidable. But, even though judgment is avoidable, he says the Bible makes it clear that God’s Spirit will not always strive with man. If Christians continue to harden our hearts and refuse to repent, judgment will surely come.

The Great Fruit Inspector shows how God allows judgment to protect His universe and those who are in covenant with Him. He brings about judgment because He delights in justice. He judges the earth to prevent lawlessness from spreading and destroying the earth. He also sends judgment as a deterrent to ungodliness. God’s end result is to eradicate sin, rebellion, and death.
The good news, according to Carney, is that God is amazingly patient and longsuffering toward us. God gives us plenty of warning and time to repent. The Great Fruit Inspector points out multiple Bible examples of how God gave warning signs for people and nations to repent. His message for change is delivered through the Holy Spirit, prophets, and evangelists. These examples also show how God showers His people and nations with kindness so they may see His goodness and desire to be like Him.

In The Great Fruit Inspector we see that the world wants to believe there is hope in Christ. They are looking at Christians to see if Christianity is real. “Accordingly, we must be disciplined and held accountable, so we can be an example to the world,” says Carney. The book points out that the most vital ingredient for revival is prayer.

Carney is quick to clarify that trials and suffering are not always a result of judgment. He believes God never causes suffering to obedient Christians. However, God will sometimes lead Christians into difficult situations in order to spread the light of the Gospel. When asked why good people suffer, Carney said, “The obedient endure hardship because of other people’s decisions. God gives everyone freedom of choice, whether to do obey God or rebel. Sometimes the obedient suffer by the hands of cruel men who have no knowledge of the truth.”

The key takeaway point of Carney’s book is that God is good and His actions are always motivated by love. Because of His love, He administers judgment and justice on the earth. The book is geared to help those who read it see that God is faithful. He can always be trusted, no matter what we’re going through. The Great Fruit Inspector will lead readers to repentance and holiness, resulting in true prosperity. Churches and families can learn from the book that true love involves discipline. It will help bring those who believe only in judgment and those who believe only in God’s prosperity to become well balanced and unite together in unity. The goal is to impart a holy fear and reverence for God, leading nations to repentance, revival, and prosperity. The first step is to go to God in prayer, confess our sins, as individuals and as a nation, and turn from evil.

Author Steve Carney resides in Tulsa, OK with his wife of eleven years and their 18-year-old stepson. He received his business degree from the University of Louisiana and worked in retail for years. Intensive Bible study began when Carney attended Rhema Bible Training Center. His growth in faith and fullness of the Spirit has equipped him for a variety of church positions, including his current one on the Sunday School staff. Carney left retail in 2006 to focus on writing.

Sales Information:Title:
The Great Fruit Inspector
Author: Rev. Steve Carney
Publisher: Pleasant Word
ISBN 13: 978-1-4141-0946-6
ISBN 10: 1-4141-0946-6
Page Count: 248
Price: $17.99

Kathy Carlton Willis serves as a writer, copyeditor, book doctor, publicist, and sought after speaker; as a writer's coach and mentor she pays it forward in the industry. See http://www.kathycarltonwillis.com/

Refining Your Skills in Productive eBay and Auctions

By Sean R Mize

Tired of posting classified ads to a website that does not produce results? Are you a storeowner who has lots of excess inventory? Why not engage in productive EBay and auctions deals.
Setting up your online store in EBay and showcasing your products on its auction block can mean multiple streams of income for you. EBay is a robust online marketplace where you can buy and sell unlimited kinds of products and services. If you want to try your luck at EBay, following a few guidelines will definitely make your online marketing experience very productive and lucrative.

With thousands of online sellers at EBay, almost all types of products and merchandise are now available for consumers. With this kind of competition, it is very important to make your product unique. Explore different types of presentations in selling your products. If you can find a particular market with less competition, then concentrate on those. Make your prices competitive. Research the pricing strategies of other sellers and compare different prices of similar products. You can also offer sale prices, bargains, and give-away items.

This serves as incentive to your customers for their continued patronage. It is also a good marketing gimmick. Create a customer-friendly online store. Allow your customers to send feedback and inquiries and convert your online guestbook to a virtual suggestion box. Be truthful to your customers. Describe your products as it is and do not embellish it with exaggerated claims. Smart customers know what is true and what are pure advertising tricks. And finally, make clear and specific instructions on your payment and delivery scheme. You must device a simple method for this.

Making money and enjoying financial stability by engaging in productive EBay and auctions marketing is possible. You just have to be conscientious in your marketing techniques and strive for excellence and honesty in your business deals. This will ensure customer satisfaction and naturally, repeat purchases.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Linking With Integrity - How to Avoid Being Labeled a Link Spammer

By Jerret Turner

It's just as important to know what not to do when executing a website linking strategy as it is to know what to do. With inexpensive linking software and services so readily available, there's a strong temptation to take shortcuts when it comes to getting quality links. Avoiding these traps will help your search engine placements rise naturally and stay that way for a long time. In this article, I describe two ways that you can help yourself avoid being labeled a link spammer.

Link Farm
What is a link farm? A link farm is any website designed and set up for the sole purpose of getting search engine spiders to crawl and index web pages. These websites provide absolutely no end user utility or benefit.

So how do you recognize a link farm? First, you need to ask yourself, is this site heavy laden with links? Most link farms will have a “farm” of links with little to no content. As for an explanation of the site’s existence, it’s usually missing too.

The next question you need to ask is, what does the URL of the site itself look like? Most of the time, link farms will have long, hyphenated URLs (i.e. our-great-linking-directory.com). This is a generalization so not all link farms will have these types of URLs. Many of these link farms are generated using software. The software will go out and find a domain name that contains specific keywords even if it settles on something with several hyphens and numbers. You may still consider a long, hyphenated site for linking purposes but make certain you conduct more research before you submit a link.

Next, look at the domain name extension and note if it’s .info or .biz. In order to sell these extensions, many domain name registrars offer a one-time, deep discount. I know of several registrars that sell .info domains for 89 cents per year. These cheap domain names allow spammers to generate thousands of sites at a huge discount.

The next criteria I use to help identify a link farm is what I call the "cheese factor". Although some link farms will look professionally designed, most are either 1) generated with software or 2) are designed with the same cookie-cutter, non-altered templates that fill search engine results. This is especially true with blogs. Spammers and Internet newbies will not take the time to brand their websites or blogs. These are commonly referred to as “pump and dump” websites.

Another question you should ask is, does it look human? That is, does it look like someone hangs around and takes care of things? You should also be able to contact the webmaster either via web form or e-mail. If there's no contact information available anywhere on the website, be very afraid.

If it's a directory site, check out the links in a few of the main directory headings. Are the URLs hyphenated just like the main URL? If you visit one of these sites, does it look the same as the site you just came from? Are there more URLs crammed onto one page than anyone could possibly visit in a lifetime?

Last but not least, if you have your suspicions that a site might be a link farm, for any reason, stay away. It's better to miss a great linking opportunity than to post your link and get downgraded in your search engine placements.

Non-relevant Links
When you're placing your links, you want to make sure that the site you're linking to has something to do with your own site and, vice versa.

A non-relevant link is defined as a hypertext link placed on a website, or in a directory, that has little to no relevance to the linking site or directory. These links are placed for the sole purpose of 1) increasing page rank or 2) getting a website crawled and indexed or a combination of the two.

The most obvious way to combat not-relevant links, over which you have complete control, is the placement of links on your own site. Avoid placing links on your own site to another that has no relevance to your content; even if it's a legitimate. Why? The link doesn't do anything for you or the person whose link you placed. On the other hand, don't ask someone to place a link on their site which doesn’t relate to yours.

Google, Yahoo, and MSN all look closely at whom you’re linking to and who's linking to you. In fact, Google’s PageRank definition specifically states that link relevance (quality) is looked at more than just the link itself.

So what's the solution? As in researching a potential link farm, you need to check out the sites that are you're linking to. If you're submitting your site to directories or article directories, make sure that you’re submitting your content and links to the most relevant topics and sections.
Don't worry about getting an exact match in terms of relevance between your site and the linking site; just make sure that each site complements the other.

Know the Linking Pitfalls
In summary, you can be accused of being a link spammer even if you think you haven’t done anything wrong. To keep your linking strategy clean, I've outlined two specific techniques that will keep your site safe with the search engines.

First, watch out for unscrupulous link directories and sites (i.e. link farms). Use the techniques and ask yourself the questions I've outlined above to recognize and avoid these harmful sites.
Second, make sure you’re posting to relevant sites/directories/articles/blogs or wherever you choose to submit your content and links.

Most importantly, if you think you might get accused of being a spammer, by attempting to use a linking technique you just read about or software you just bought, trust your gut and don't do it. Linking software creators claim that you can get thousands of back links with the press of a button or for only "$49". The only way to get good quality back links is to do the research yourself and hand-submit every single link.

If you avoid these two traps, you'll be well on your way to getting the links you need to get your website placed higher in search results and, as a result, generate more sales.

**********Link Acquire can easily provide all the one way links you need to boost site traffic, improve your natural rankings in the major search engines, and increase your revenue.

Flavored Coffee - A Delight On The Palate

By Kay Milam

Flavored coffees are such fun! Butterscotch Toffee, Carmel Kiss, Chocolate Raspberry Cream, Chocolate Turtle, Cinnamon Toddy, just to name a delicious few. The art of flavoring coffee began centuries ago with cinnamon, cardamom and pepper. Since that auspicious beginning, flavorings have come a long way. Flavorings now include, almond, mango, pumpkin, hazelnut, peanut butter, and many more to numerous to mention. Flavored gourmet coffee is a highly popular drink enjoyed by people around the world.

After roasting is when most flavors are added and most flavors are in a liquid form. Usually coffee is flavored by weight, with a pound of coffee being flavored with half an ounce of flavor. Coffee can be enhanced with almost any flavor imaginable.

With modern technology the flavors may now be added directly to the coffee bean instead of being added after the grinding process.

Today’s coffee consumers can choose from a wide variety of flavored coffee with names like "Snickerdoodle," "French Hazelnut," "Jamaican Almond Fudge," "Irish Creme," "French Vanilla Creme," and "Peanut Butter Cup”.

Coffee brewers usually use Arabica coffee beans in making their flavored coffees. These beans are usually milder and more flavorful than other beans and have low levels of acidity and bitterness. Arabica coffee beans are the finest of beans and were the first to be cultivated.

Coffee flavors require more flavoring compounds than most food flavorings. Dozens and dozens of different compounds are needed to achieve some subtle flavors. A really fine flavor will mask some of the bitterness or acidity but will not override the taste of the coffee itself.

Serve up a delicious flavored gourmet coffee with tea cakes, chocolate fudge cake, vanilla cake, applesauce cake, orange cake, coconut cream cake, molasses cake…well, you get the idea. Flavored coffees are good anytime with anything.

Kay Milam --
Coffee Shop Canyon - Great Taste In Coffee
http://www.coffeeshopcanyon.com

A Boxing Workout Program Could Get You In The Shape Of Your Life!

By Douglas La Londe

To be successful at boxing you first must prepare your mind. The oftentimes talked about "Heart" of a great fighter first begins with his belief in himself, and this belief helps him to have the "Heart" to succeed.

With the true "Heart" of a champ, you will discipline yourself to be a winner. You will not give up when the going gets tough. Instead YOU will become tougher, and keep on going. Remember, "every champion has become the champ against all odds". So MIND PREPERATION must be part of Your Boxing Workout Program from the very beginning.

Day one, and every single day after, you must tell yourself that You are going to be, and in fact are becoming the greatest middleweight, or heavyweight, or lightweight, (whatever) that's ever been! Begin now to train your mind to become a great fighter. And remember DISCIPLINE in all aspects of your life is your KEY. Without it, you can't hope to be a GREAT fighter. Making the above statement SINCERELY to yourself everyday is a MUST DO part of Your Boxing Workout Program.

You will need a gym. It should be a boxing gym. If you can't find a real boxing gym, or someplace very similar, you will need to "create" for yourself a training camp. This is very important to your program. The "place" that you do your boxer's workout must make you FEEL like a boxer. If you cannot find a real boxing gym, or you cannot "make it" to a real boxing gym then bring the gym to you. There are things you will need. These things will cost a little money, (not an awful lot), and, if you purchase quality boxing gear it will last a long time. A Boxing Workout Program is NOT and SHOULD NOT be expensive.

A garage, or even a place in your basement will be your first choice for your training "camp". Whichever place you choose you will need to be able to hang a heavy bag. This punching bag is necessary to develop powerful punches, stamina, and strength. It is also required to practice accurate and smooth combination punching. This can NOT be overlooked. You MUST have a heavy bag to train. However, until you are able to buy, beg, or steal, a suitable heavy bag, there are still many things you can do to begin Your Boxing Workout Program.

You will also need a Speed Bag and Speed Bag Platform. A quality set of these can be had for less than about a hundred dollars, and they will last Indefinitely. Your reflexes, coordination, and hand to eye timing will increase dramatically, as well as gaining strength in your shoulders.

A Jump rope will be your next investment, and they too are inexpensive and will last a real long time if you take care of it. One size does NOT fit ALL. Be careful that you purchase one that is the right size for you. You will become discouraged fast if you are trying to jump rope with a rope that is too big or too small. Learning to jump rope, and using this exercise in your boxing workout program will help to train your heart, (cardiovascular system), and legs, and teach timing, so you will be light on your feet, and always feel "centered", and balanced.

You will also need running shoes. Quality running shoes will provide your feet and ankles support. You will need this support as you do your roadwork every other day in your training.
Roadwork will train your heart and body and mind to "go the distance". Road work will train your cardio system and give you the stamina you need to stay strong during your workouts and sparring rounds.

A good book, written by a knowledgeable trainer, or writer who has researched the subject, should also be on your list. This book should explain how you use the "gear" I've mentioned above. It should explain the "basics" of boxing - How and when to throw the various punches you will be practicing - How to hold your hands and move on your feet - And how to work through the various drills in Your Boxing Workout Program.

With commitment, and practice, and of course a sensible diet you will begin to look and feel like a boxer. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the mirror you will need to watch yourself as you practice the jab, and cross, and uppercut, and hook, and various other moves typical of a boxer. This is very important, and must not be overlooked!

You can be fit, lose weight, and get in the best shape of your life following the tried and true, (tested for over a hundred years!), Boxing Workout Program!

Doug LaLonde writes about boxing and boxing legends. Doug is happy to be breathing in and out at; http://boxingworkoutprogram.com/

Polarized Sunglasses Are Stylish and Protect Your Eyes

By Mark Agualera

Having a good pair of polarized sunglasses is important for a number of reasons, making them a very good investment. Polarized sunglasses help prevent serious eye injury due to glare or brightness from sun, water or snow. They also look really good doing it. Thankfully, finding the perfect pair of polarized sunglasses is not that difficult, but the buyer needs to know what they're in for before purchasing them.

Polarized sunglasses have been in circulation for a long time. Those that work on the water, like fishermen or boaters, have used these sunglasses because of their ability to reduce sunlight glare from various surfaces. The light is actually reflected off the surface of the polarized sunglasses and sent in other directions. Regular tinted sunglasses only ease glare by providing some form of shade.

There are hundreds of manufacturers out there who make polarized sunglasses. There are certainly plenty of options to choose from when looking for an affordable pair of polarized sunglasses that will keep your eyes safe from damaging UV rays. Many professionals choose polarized glasses in order to preserve their eyes throughout their career. A pilot, for instance, relies on his vision as he lands a plane, and chooses polarized glasses for the most reliable eye protection from the sun.

Polarized sunglasses are stylish too! Not only do professionals wear them everyday to work, polarized sunglasses are hot with the fashion-oriented crowd as well. Many of the highest quality and style glasses are polarized. The demand by the general public is increasing quickly and manufacturers are responding with a larger selection of their polarized sunglass lines. These sunglasses can be versatile too. One day they are great for an afternoon on the golf course, and the next day they are the perfect protection for your eyes at work.

The polarized sunglasses available come with a variety of beneficial factors. Finding a pair that suits your purposes is simple, as most major manufacturers carry polarized sunglasses, and these models are the best choice for cost-effective protection of the eye from injury due to glare.

Mark Agualera is a long time pool owner in California and knows how important it is to keep your eyes safe by the pool. In addition to polarized sunglasses, Mark recommends Cameron Park pool service and repair to keep the pool in great shape throughout sunglasses season.

Tips to Earn Huge Income with E-book

By Sean R Mize

One of the more promising income generators online is the writing of the e-book. With the greater demands for e-books ranging from personal usage to freebies to give away gifts to promotional tactics of other sites, there goes a continuous soaring for market demands in e-books. This is the reason why a lot of people are engaging into writing e-books. A far greater income that it promises actually entices these people to dwell and be an experienced e-book writer. So, if you want to earn a far, greater income with E-book, you may want to follow the tips that I have provided below:

• Since the demand for e-books is getting really high, it is a must that you widen your expertise and knowledge about the things that you can write. You have to show versatility with the topics that are being asked of you to write. It is only with versatility that you are assured of earning greater income. To achieve this, you need to explore on the various things that surround you.

• Try to discover the things that people have not yet seen and discovered. These undiscovered phenomenon are the best topics to write and dwell on. When people see the unordinary subject matter that you have at hand, their curiosity will drive greater appreciation with the material that you have written. Make sure, too, that when writing the e-book material, you practically give what it promises the audience.

• Make a sound structure of what you want to write. By clearly outlining the e-book material that you want to write, you will be able to generally look at the overview of the forecasted finished product. This means that you are given the opportunity to distribute the emphasis or importance of the e-books details to which ever part that needs it.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘

Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

Home Security System Monitoring - Is It For You?

By Ara Rubyan

Philosophers have a question that they ask and it goes like this.

"If a tree falls in the forest and there is no one there to hear it, does it make a noise?"

It's the same thing with your home security system. If the alarm goes off, and there's nobody listening for it, are you really protected?

Clearly, home security system monitoring is crucial. Here are some benefits of having your system monitored 24/7:

• Studies show that your home is three to four times less likely to be broken into, if your system is being monitored.
• You can save up to 20% on your homeowners insurance if your home security system is monitored.
• Home security system monitoring never sleeps -- it goes around the clock. It never takes a day off. And you are always protected whether your home or not.

Now, be aware that if you have home security system monitoring, you want to make sure that it is always working. So you need to test the system periodically. Test your system at least once a month, if not more. Some experts recommend checking out once a week. What's involved in testing your system? Simply turn it on.

And don't forget: Make sure your monitoring system is on at night -- even (especially!) when you are inside -- and also when you leave your house during the day.

Another good idea is to spread the word that your home security system is being monitored. Tell your neighbors; tell your friends; tell people who know about your habits, such as when you are away. Tell as many people as you can. Word gets around. By doing this, you will reduce the chances of burglary by someone who knows someone who knows you.

Conclusion

Relax and enjoy your vacation. When you hire someone to monitor your home security system, your home and your possessions -- and maybe even your family -- are protected.

P.S. You can also have your home security system monitored for fires and medical emergencies as well.

For more info on home security system monitoring, visit Ara Rubyan's Home Security Systems.
Ara Rubyan is not a part of the home security system industry, nor does he sell home security systems, nor does he pretend to be a guru of any kind. Instead, he is like you: a consumer, a business owner, and someone who has been researching the industry so that he could make an informed decision about the best home security system for his needs. Now, he's put all his research (so far) in one convenient location and he's sharing it with you, no strings attached.

Routine or Ritual

By Betty Mahalik

We all have dozens of routines we go through daily, and for the most part, we do them with a blind unconsciousness that is sometimes startling. Here are some examples: You get up, make and drink your morning coffee completely oblivious that a new day has dawned. You drive to work and upon arriving, ask yourself how you got there. You remember none of it. You make a meal, do an exercise routine, read the paper or pay your bills...all without paying more than a sliver of attention...just enough to get the job done and sometimes, avoid injury.

And what about those routines you go through at work...answering a phone call, dealing with a client's needs or coaching a staff member. Sadly we often do those things without being conscious as well. The results: we end up making more mistakes, and often, leave ourselves, our customers, co-workers and staff members dissatisfied without really knowing why. It's no wonder so many of us come to a certain point in life and ask ourselves, "Is that all there is?" And yet the quest for "more" never satisfies for more than a few short hours or days either.

But I've rediscovered recently that any routine can be transformed into a ritual, and by doing so, it is possible to transform what seems quite ordinary into the something extraordinary. And that, as the poet said, "makes all the difference."

Just what is a ritual and what difference can it make in your life--personal or professional? By definition, a ritual is a set of practices that usually has religious meaning. The approach to them is intentionally reverent. In our daily lives, a ritual can be anything we choose to bring an attitude of conscious reverence to. Have you ever watched how the traditional Japanese or British ritualize the drinking of tea. Tea is not simply a drink to be consumed so you can get the caffeine boost you need to hurry up and get on with your day. Drinking tea is a very special part of the day, and because the preparation and presentation of the tea is as significant as its consumption, tea drinking takes on a very different spirit for those who do it routinely.

Now imagine for a moment going through the motions of handling a customer issue with the kind of attention to detail, focus, and presence the Japanese or British bring to their tea rituals.
Imagine preparing and eating meals with that conscious awareness of having a "sacred" experience instead of rushing through mindlessly to get on with the next thing. Imagine exercising and staying present to the incredibly complex series of motions our bodies go through in performing even a simple movement, instead of being hooked up to an iPod or TV set to "distract" us from the experience. Just imagine...

This week I invite you to experiment with creating some rituals for yourself. Pick an activity that you do "routinely" and see if you can transform it into a ritual. Pay attention to how you feel before, during and after performing it. For help in how to transform even the most mundane chores (think paying bills, doing laundry, driving to work) into a ritual, consult Alexandra Stoddard's book, Living a Beautiful Life.

I'm convinced that if we could bring even a fraction more awareness and reverence to our daily routines, thereby creating more rituals for ourselves, that life for many of us would take on a freshness, a beauty, a fullness we can hardly imagine.

Start right now: print this out, make yourself a cup of tea or coffee, pause to savor the experience of it all, and begin creating a ritual out of a routine. And as always, enjoy the journey!
Betty

--------------------Quote of the Week:--------------------"Live your life each day as you would climb a mountain. An occasional glance towards the summit keeps the goal in mind, but many beautiful scenes are to be observed from each new vantage point." ~~Harold B. Melchart
Betty Mahalik has been coaching small business owners, independent professionals and leaders who want to achieve more but stress less, since 1996. Her background includes several years in the broadcasting and public relations fields prior to starting her own firm in 1987. She is an accomplished public speaker and corporate trainer specializing in communications, goal-setting and leveraging your strengths. Since 2001, she has written a weekly motivational message, free to subscribers, titled Monday Morning Coach. To subscribe go to: http://www.dynamic-coaching.com

Do More by Doing Less

By Arthur Hastings

Outsourcing has become an integral part of doing business for many companies. With more companies running lean and mean it becomes more efficient to have employees focused on critical tasks and outsource others. Organizations may outsource marketing activities, IT support or even customer support. However there is one area that is ripe for outsourcing and that is Administration.

The International Virtual Assistants Association describes a Virtual Assistant in this way:
“A Virtual Assistant (VA) is an independent entrepreneur providing administrative, creative, and/or technical services. Utilizing advanced technological modes of communication and data delivery, a professional VA assists clients in his/her area of expertise from his/her own office on a contractual basis.”

Hiring a professional VA can free up valuable resources and time for you and your employees. In business “best and highest use” is a time tested principle. Efficiency and profit are maximized when resources are appropriately deployed.

At IAC we have helped many growing businesses with administrative and specialized help. We initially offered Accounting and Tax Services but soon customers began coming to us for trusted professionals in other functional areas. We went out and found high performing professionals and decided to expand our service offering to meet the needs of our client base.


Joe is one of our many success stories. Joe is the owner of a design firm. He has 6 employees who were all stretched very thin. Everyone was handling multiple tasks while also managing client projects. Joe needed to adhere to client deadlines while continuing to grow the business. He sat down with his staff and together they put together a list of tasks that could be outsourced.

Joe and his team came up with a list of tasks that were taking valuable resources away from “highest use.” The list included billing, email marketing campaigns, project management and proposal preparation. Joe had a friend who had used a VA firm and he contacted the same firm to discuss his needs. By outsourcing administrative tasks Joe was able to free up the equivalent of a full time employee for a fraction of what he would have paid to hire another team member.

By taking the time to analyze how the staff was managing their time, Joe was able to identify how individual productivity could be improved. Joe can now spend time gaining business and meeting with customers without having to compile and mail proposals. His team members can focus on client projects without having to manage billing and other administrative tasks.

Each team member can now focus on what they do best. The result has been higher productivity and morale. The team no longer feels the stress of being pulled in various directions. The tasks that were not their primary responsibility are now handled timely and more efficiently. Since billing is centralized by the VA firm, the cash flow has also improved. Sometimes the best way to do more really is to do less!

If you need a helping hand in your business, contact IAC Professionals, your single source business solution: http://www.iacprofessionals.com

Tips to Make More Money with Home Based Business

By Sean R Mize

With the emergence online business, a lot of people have diverted their attention to having their own online business at home leaving their corporate work to concentrate and be successful with their own home based business. Truly, the impact of doing home based business to most people is greatly high. With the continuous increase in the number of online businesses on a day to day basis, it manifests that there are truly a great number of people who are trying to engage into this kind of business. Although not a bad idea at all because of the promising career it gives and a more profitable income it can generate, a person is left little choices except to make it good on their own home based business.

• Know your passion. With the numerous types of business that one can embark on to, it is easy to be a prey for a failing business rather than making it good on it. Fro you not to become a prey, it is a must that you should know what drives you to engage into home based and what interests you. By knowing what type of business you would like to embark on, it would be then easier for you to know the other things about the business like products and stuff.

• Make an extensive research as to what basically sells in the market. If you are not sure as to what business that makes it good in the market, then it is about time that you immerse yourself with thorough research about the intricacies of the business that you wish to embark on. By so doing, you will make yourself a little prepared about any surprises the business may bring upon. This is essentially important because after all, it is going to be your own business and any success that it may shall be your own.

Do you want to learn more about how I do it? I have just completed my brand new guide to article marketing success, ‘Your Article Writing and Promotion Guide‘
Download it free here: Secrets of Article Promotion

Sean Mize is a full time internet marketer who has written over 1574 articles in print and 11 published ebooks.

The Power of Words - How to Avoid Stomping on Personal and Customer Relationships

By Sandy Reed

The power of the word is real whether or not you are conscious of it.
Your own words are the bricks and mortar of the dreams you want to realize. Behind every word flows energy.

Sonia Choquette
One of the most profound powers we have, in our business or personal life, is the power of speech. The way we talk to people, and ourselves, shapes our relationships; and these relationships shape our world.

When you speak to someone in a gentle, loving tone of voice, you will most likely receive a gentle, loving response – and build a relationship of caring and trust. When you talk to someone in a condescending manner, being sarcastic, hateful, or just plain nasty, you will probably get back the same.

I had an experience recently with the latter situation. I'm in the process of setting up a new blog in WordPress for Inner Clarity. I chose a web hosting company based on a recommendation from another coach. This whole blog scenario and its set-up is new to me, so I've been getting a lot of mental exercise learning about cpanel, Fantastico, and MySQL, etc. Sounds like a foreign language, doesn't it?

I've been working my way through the steps of learning this new language, so I can create my blog, without much support except online documentation. When I had questions for my new web hosting company, I expected help – not ridicule. In the beginning they were somewhat helpful, but obviously irritated about my lack of experience. As time went on, and other issues came up, they became downright condescending in our email communications. Every day I dreaded having to contact them about any questions or concerns I might have encountered.

This whole situation came to a climactic end when I asked them to make a change in my domain name set-up. As a result of the change they made, I lost all the work I had already entered into WordPress. They didn't inform me at any time that this was a possibility. Nonetheless, they managed to make it appear that the loss of data was my own fault, and had nothing to do with the changes they made.

It seemed that the words they used and the tone of their emails were geared towards making me feel inadequate and ignorant - and they succeeded! While their evaluation of my skill level, at that point, may have been accurate, that is certainly not the way to keep customers – not to mention get referrals. It became crystal clear that this was not a company I wanted to deal with on an ongoing basis, so I cancelled my account with them. My only regret is that I didn't cancel it sooner…

What's the point of this story? If you want to build a successful business, be aware of the impact your words have on your customers and the people who support you. If you're trying to irritate your clients so they'll move on, then the condescending, sarcastic words and tone of voice may be appropriate. But if you want to have happy customers and support people, you probably want to take a different tactic.

Here are 3 tips for choosing the right words to fit your situation.

1. Use the "positivity sandwich". When you have a need to correct someone, express disappointment, or give feedback, use the "positivity sandwich". This is a term coined by Dale Carnegie; author of the classic "How to Win Friends and Influence People". This concept operates on the basic premise that you can tell anyone anything if you sandwich it between two positive statements.

When using the positivity sandwich, the ACT with Tact approach may be helpful. ACT is an acronym for Appreciate, Correct (or Communicate), and Thank. In the book by Linda Kavelin Popov, "A Pace of Grace", she writes about the ACT with Tact approach for giving feedback about sensitive situations. Here's an example.

My ex-web hosting company could have said something like, "I appreciate and understand you're trying to learn something new. Why don't you try doing it this way? We value your business". Can you imagine what a different relationship we would have had!

2. Use the "Would you be willing" approach. When there's something you want, but don't quite know how to get it without offending the other person and starting an argument, try asking them "would you be willing to…" This is an approach used by Marshall Rosenburg, in his enlightening work on Nonviolent Communication. When you use this gentle approach to a sensitive situation, it shows you are caring and considerate of the other person's feelings and whatever may be going on in their life. In this way, you can ask for what you want without criticizing, condemning, or complaining. Just be sure you're using a tone of voice that says you're being sincere in your request.

3. What do you say when you talk to yourself? You tend to show the world the feelings you have inside of you. If you're being critical and condemning yourself on a regular basis, it's tough to be in a state of graciousness to others. The solution to self-criticism is to catch yourself when that internal critic takes over, STOP it in its tracks, and instead look for things you have done right – things that you can appreciate about yourself. Elevate your negative self-talk to, "I know how to do this", or "I'm clear about the next logical step to take", or "I know I can figure out how to….", etc.

We all have our unique approaches to life. Just because your internal guidance led you to do something a particular way, and someone else did it differently, doesn't mean you were wrong. It just means you're different. We need different viewpoints and creations in this world. Be willing to give up the self-criticism and celebrate your uniqueness. Don't get hung up on the "good opinion of others". Here's a wonderful quote that expresses the beauty of diversity.
"You don't get harmony when everyone sings the same note." - Doug Floyd

The power of your words, whether external or internal, shapes your world and carries over into your physical and emotional state of being. Your internal critic may be replaying those critical and condemning words you heard as a child. These are the words you came to believe because other people were describing you to you, and we tend to believe other people more than we believe ourselves – especially as a small child. You can learn to replace these hurtful words with words of love and support for yourself.

If you're having a challenge in your life, whether it is health, finances, personal, or business; look to see if your words are supporting or hindering your progress towards your goals. You may find the answer to your challenges just by listening to what you say when you talk to yourself.

Sandy Reed, Certified Life Coach, ex-corporate manager, and small business owner, is the coach to call for support when you’re ready to break out of the corporate prison, and create a life of freedom and flexibility. Visit her website at http://www.innerclaritylifecoaching.com for more tools and information and to sign-up for her free mini-ecourse “7 Steps to Personal Power”.

The Inspiration for the Film - The Secret

By Tim McKee

Many people, from business experts to philosophers, from number crunchers to mystics, have actually believed in and spoken about the Law of Attraction for centuries. If you are spiritual, you don’t have to go very far to the great religious texts of the world, to find it written about. If you are a concrete realist, you don’t have to go very far to find it alluded to often in the great speeches and biographies of those who have “made it” in capitalistic world. Proctor writes that the inspiration for this current book and film come from a “simple little book written in 1910…called the “Science of Getting Rich” by Wallace D. Wattles.”

Wallace points out that while we function with what he calls “the competitive mind” (and who in business doesn’t), we must “learn to harness our creative mind.” Again, he affirms the idea – scientifically as well as philosophically – that the Universe is made up of energy. Our very thoughts are energy…and as we ‘put out’ in thought, so do we ‘attract back’.

You have only to think of the people in your life who seem to live under a perpetual cloud. Yes, bad things happen to good people. However, it is up to us individually to go through the bad things, and come out on the other side. It is when we stop and allow the bad stuff to take control of our outlook, of our thoughts, that we literally hand over our energy to the Universe to keep us stalled in one place. And so, the black cloud stays put – right over our personal heads.

Proctor paraphrasing Wallace puts it more succinctly, “All that you include in your mental image will come to you through the physical realm – through the process of natural ways such as trade and commerce.”

Think of all those stories of men and women who manage to rise up against unspeakable, and often, horrible, odds. Millions of immigrants who have gone on to become successful business owners, and millions of no-bodies who have become household names, made it because they did not, would not, let go of what could be. Did that mean that they didn’t encounter obstacles? No.
Did that mean they didn’t get discourage, frustrated, and even sad? No. It means that their vision/dream of what they wanted to be and create was stronger then ANYTHING that could keep them ‘down’ and mentally, spiritually, and physically stuck in one place!

The hardest job you and I will ever have is to get out of our own way – mentally. The time is now to affirm the logic of thoughts as real energy; the time is now to accept that our thoughts cannot only change our perceptions, but physically change where we are as glorious creatures meant to have and live an abundant life!

My name is Tim McKee, and I am a Senior Partner at Pathways Business Associates, PBA’s mission is to develop leaders, coaches and entrepreneurs through educating them about the law of attraction and the secret.

Brain Tumor Symptoms

By Glenn Dahlenburg

My father recently was diagnosed with a brain tumor, and he exhibited some of normal Brain Tumor Symptoms. However he did not have all the typical symptoms of a brain tumor, this is quite common for someone to only exhibit a selection of the normal brain tumor symptoms.
So what are the brain tumor symptoms you should look out for?

Brain Tumor Symptoms are very much related to where in the brain the tumor is located.
This is a short summary of what symptoms are related to which part of the brain.

Frontal lobe – Tumors in the Frontal lobe can cause the following: changes in personality or intellect, unco-ordination especially in walking, some weakness usually in one side of the body, some speech difficulties.

Parietal lobe – Tumors in the Parietal lobe can cause the following: difficulty in understanding words reading and writing, problems with movements especially co-ordination of movements, disorientation numbers and calculations, weakness on one side of the body.

Occipital lobe - Tumors in the Occipital lobe can cause the following: vision impairment especially on one side.

Temporal lobe - Tumors in the Temporal lobe can cause the following: Fits, strange feelings like fear or familiarity like dé jà vu, unusual smells, blackouts, difficulties with speech, memory problems.

Cerebellum - Tumors in the Cerebellum can cause the following: Co-ordination affecting walking and speech, unsteadiness, involuntary movement of the eyes - flickering, vomiting and nausea, neck stiffness.

Brain stem - Tumors in the Brain Stem can cause the following: Unsteadiness usually un-coordinated walking, Facial weakness can be one-sided smile or eyelid that droops, vision issues usually double vision, speaking and swallowing difficulties.

As you can see the different tumors exhibit different symptoms. You need to look out for any brain tumor symptoms and if there appears to be a problem get it check by a qualified medical person immediately.

Having recently had his father diagnosed with a brain tumor, Glenn has first hand knowledge and experience of just what can happen with brain tumors and how the person, family and friends can all be affected. Author of the popular website http://www.dadsbraintumor.com/ and the blog http://brain-tumor.blogspot.com/

The Creative Lounge - A Business Directory

By Battusai Slasher

The creative lounge is a business directory that is dedicated to provide a good exposure to art and creativity. It has a vision to create a solid business background for the client that provides a guarantee for the good future. The pillars of development are excellence in visual communication and promotion of design innovation. Just from their start as a consultancy, the company has grown rapidly as an exiting, creative and diverse advertising and web agency that is a dedicated resource to creative work.

The selling and promotion of the creative work is an important part of a business and has a positive role in promoting it. It is a business directory that brings together the people of creative society where they can discuss about their business and shares information about the latest innovation. It is a place for the art societies, organizations and institutes to meet together and discuss about their problems and forms a common attitude. Every business must have a positive and exiting image in the mind of the customer if it wants to be a booming sector. The creativeness play an important role in getting the business run on a fast pace.It is easy to get registered on the creative lounge. The user has to choose particular categories of his business. The other necessary information for registration is Name, Email and Title. Two different intro and extro text along with the images can be posted on the site. The categories available are institute, company, artist, designers, portfolio, artist service, resources, designer studios, galleries and software.

In the portfolio category an artist, organization or a company can share the information about their achievements, vision or goal of life. The intro and extro text is enough to provide necessary information to the user.

In company or an organization category, the company or organization provides the specific information about their products and services along with the details of contact. It provides the email or other method of contact to invite feedback from the users. The directory is totally dedicated to the artists and creative world and provide a good exposure all over the world. The online presence is always beneficial to spread your business at a fast pace. It is a type of networking that helps to get the opinion about the product in the market. Any organization or agency that is associated with some creative work can get registered on the directory. All type of creative work including the photography, creative designing and software are welcomed on the site. The site provide a good networking for the innovative people.

It is easy to search a particular business organization or institute on the directory. The index is arranged alphabetically and can be searched by providing a particular keyword. The search can be ordered according to the requirement. By default it sorts the results according to the latest posting in a category. The visitor can view the popular results out of a category by sorting it on the basis of popularity.

http://www.creativelounge.org

Why Make Candles?

By Douglas T Adams

Some people may find candles a messy thing to handle especially when they drip on the table or onto the cloth. However candles give off a soft glow, creating the kind of ambience needed in a romantic setting. Sure, a fireplace has the same effects but candles are portable, can be lit up easily anywhere, can be scented to enhance your sensory experience and above all lack the heat of a fireplace.

Thinking About Making Candles In Containers?
It is relatively easy to learn how to make candles in containers. Before you start, there are a few essential things that you need to get the process underway. You will need wax (soy, beeswax or paraffin), a container (preferably tin, glass or ceramic), a double boiler, pre-tabbed wicks, an empty ball pen barrel, a wooden rod, a thermometer and a glue gun with glue sticks. For the more adventurous, dyes and fragrances can also be added to the ingredients.

Making Candles In A Container
Now that you have your tools ready, let the fun of candle making begin. Firstly, boil your wax. While the wax heats up, don’t forget to use the thermometer to monitor the temperature of the wax. As it reaches the temperature of 160 to 165 degrees Fahrenheit, you have the option of adding either the dyes or the fragrances to your candle. Next, glue the pre-tabbed wick into the bottom of the container by inserting the wick into the empty ball pen barrel which is there to keep your aim straight so that the wick glues perfectly into the bottom of the container.

Making candles is not an exact science, get creative and don’t be afraid to experiment with new tools as long as they are safe to use. Improvise if you cannot find a particular tool to do a particular job, be resourceful. The next step requires you to tie the end of the wick on a wooden skewer or a toothpick, depending on the diameter of the container’s opening. Wood is a much better material to use compared to anything that is metallic which are excellent heat conductors.

You may wish to preheat your container before pouring melted wax into it. This process effectively reduces the bubbles. Heat your container by placing it in an oven at the lowest setting for only a few brief minutes and no more, or you can also use a heat gun to achieve the same result. Take care in pouring the melted wax into the container as it can get very hot. Make sure to leave sufficient space from the container’s opening to the level of the wax to avoid spillage. Let the wax cool down and set completely. If you find a depression in the middle of your candle, reheat some of your leftover wax to a temperature higher than the melting temperature to ensure better cohesiveness. This is also to avoid unsightly lines from forming in your finished product.

When the candle is completely set, there you have it, a completely homemade candle right before your eyes. Once you have mastered the basics, the rest are all about perfecting the shape, the colour, the texture and the scent of the candle. Many people make candles as a hobby. Homemade candles make for unique gifts and you definitely have more control over their appearance and functions to be used and enjoyed by everyone in the family.

For more great information and advice on Candles, please visit us at http://candles.articlebee.net/

That Vision Thing - Strategic Thinking for any Business

By Terry Bass

Whether you are a small business owner just starting a new business or a newly hired CEO of a major corporation, you both have something in common --- that “vision thing”.

An idea of creating or recreating a company. There is a feeling of excitement, of opportunities and possibilities, no matter how practical you may be it’s a new beginning and the sky is the limit.

So you have a vision. You see yourself down the road envisioning an organization much different than the one today. It is bigger, it is better and you are fulfilled in making it so. It is your vision, your dream, your possibility.

And then comes the work and the meetings and the setbacks and before you know it the vision is on the back burner. Your day is handling details, crisis, and all sorts of stuff that get in your way. You started out jumping out of bed full of ideas, empowered to take on the day and now it’s a bit more difficult to crawl out of bed. You may peek open an eye to see if the monster’s that you know are going to get you at work are now in your bedroom.

What happened?
Quite simply, you put the “vision thing” in the desk drawer, maybe even locked it away. You make business plans that plan on 5 – 7% growth next year. You deal with the issues of the day and the work on your desk/counter and the only satisfaction you get is if your (figurative or literal) inbox/stuff to do is at least no higher at the end of the day as when you started. .

Is that really where you want to be?
Or would you rather be excited again? Would you like to wake up the day full of possibilities? Do you wish to look at what you do, whether your own business or your own career and be proud and happy for what you do?

Well, bring back that “vision thing”. Take it out and dust it off. Or what the heck make a new one.

Your vision is where you want your business and yourself to be. Your vision is a destination, a place of where you want to go. Your vision is that sunny beach sipping margaritas or climbing in the Rockies or a whole plethora of visualizations! Your vision is what turns you on and gets you excited.

It doesn’t matter whether you have your own business or not, whether you want your own business or not. Having an idea, a dream of where you want to go creates motivation and exciting possibilities.

Obviously, taking that vision and creating a strategic plan, action steps to ensure you achieve your vision is vitally important. A wise saying first line is Vision without action is a daydream.
But take that first step; create a vision of where YOU want to be. Get excited again. And then do what you need to do to make it a reality. It’ll make the day and your life a lot more enjoyable!

Terry Bass, of CHADONS Resources is a business coach in the ChicagoLand area. He speaks, coaches and facilitates focusing on helping the individual and business succeed. If you can use help for yourself or your organization in identifying, understanding and achieving your goals, then you should contact Terry at 773-769-1992 and begin the conversation. You can also visit http://www.chadons.com to learn more.

Paris Hilton - Celebrity Gossip Fodder, Jailbird, or Marketing Guru?

By Nasanji Parker

Ah, Paris Hilton. Omnipresent, overexposed and under appreciated. Is there anything about her -- any part of her -- that all of America is not yet familiar with?

She's the quintessential celebrity of the 21st century, famous just for being famous. She's not known for being a singer, actress, model, designer, author, or entrepreneur, though she is all of those things. She's known just for being ... well, Paris Hilton. And today, that brand is among the most recognized in the world, and worth millions.

So how did she become famous enough to exploit her ever-burning media spotlight? After all, there are plenty of rich, vaguely attractive people in America, and most of them aren't on the front page of the tabloids every week.

Was it (A) her modeling career, which she began professionally at age 19 (she signed with Donald Trump's company, of course). Or (B), her frequent appearances at swanky events and hip clubs. Maybe (C), her cameo appearance in the film, Zoolander?

If you said, (D), none of the above, you would be correct. Paris got her 15 minutes of fame because she was filmed having sex, a lot of it – And here in the YouTube, viral marketing generation, 15 minutes can last a lifetime (of free publicity).

1 Night in Paris, the sexual exploits of Ms. Hilton, burst onto the Internet in 2003, suspiciously close to the debut of Paris' reality TV series, The Simple Life. Between the sex tape and the TV show, Paris mania was in high gear, having secured her spot in the pantheon of celebrities who have done really dumb things, gotten caught and profited wildly from the exposure. Overnight, her haughtiness, dumb-blonde persona, and her wealth made her a paparazzi's dream, every man’s fantasy and the object of scorn, ridicule and conversation at water coolers across the globe. No amount of money could have bought more far-reaching word of mouth publicity.

The E! Television program, The Simple Life, was proof positive that the country's thirst for all things Paris was unquenchable. The series was at first, curiously amusing and later, excruciatingly unwatchable. It was mercifully canceled in 2007, after a four year run.

Paris has appeared in a few films such as House of Wax, where audiences cheered at her untimely demise. She has released an album, co-wrote a book in 2004, moonlighted as a jewelry designer, has her own line of perfume, has her own chain of nightclubs AND makes millions on her own each year.

In 2007, after scoffing at the California legal system for years (most of which was caught on tape), Paris was arrested for driving with a suspended license stemming from a previous DUI incident.

America was suddenly giddy, clamoring for Paris Hilton jail news, deriving guilty pleasure from the details of her ordeal and less than star treatment. Media coverage was comically overblown. Paris' attempts to evoke pity and empathy through her leaked diary entries, were chronicled in detail by the thirsty gossip hounds. We all snickered and watched with rapt attention.

And, while all the world was giggling, this model-actress-porn star was cultivating the ridiculously successful and marketable brand that is Paris Hilton. She could have spent her life doing absolutely nothing, not just pretending to. Instead, she has captured the attention and imagination of the world. Would you buy Paris Hilton sparkling water? Neither would I, but millions undoubtedly would, adding to the $6 million a year she currently earns (according to Forbes Magazine).

While we attribute very little of the planning of these brilliant marketing mini-events to Paris, she has played her part perfectly. The carefully orchestrated chaos is far more difficult to pull off than people think. Just compare Paris Hilton, the brand, to the brands Lindsay Lohan or Britney Spears. Wrong puppeteers pulling those strings.

How can you do your part? How can you contribute to the global marketing plan that keeps her lifestyle alive and fuels her next venture or stunt and fuels the brand? Just mention, joke about or deride her as millions of other Paris Hilton fans or haters do every day. We all need distractions and diversions in our dull, hum-drum lives. We all need something, someone to turn to when we're feeling really bad about ourselves, so that we can feel, well...better. Thank goodness, we'll always have Paris.

Nasanji Parker is a successful celebrity gossip columnist and avid celebrity and supermodel watcher. His unusual take on celebrity life at SuperModelStuff are must reads for supermodel and celebrity gossip fanatics.

Get a life-size Paris Hilton Stand-up and more great celebrity items at Nasanji's sister site SuperModelCalendars.com

Email Marketing - How To Succeed

By Brad J

Nowadays, everyone wants to know what it takes to succeed in email marketing? Of course that subject has had truckloads of information published about it. However, I thought I would revisit the subject and provide a short, succinct message on what I think it takes to succeed in email marketing. First, let’s use common sense. Promoting your service or product is really no different now than it was 75 years ago. Marketing has been around for the better part of a century. Of course then, unlike now, there was no email but there was regular “snail mail.”
Then, as now, the job at hand was to create enough interest about your product or service to get someone to contact you for what you were selling. So the question becomes, how to do this? Well, here’s the easiest formula.

1. Create an advertisement that compels the reader to contact you to find out the secrets that your product has that makes it unique and unlike other available products on the market
2. Once you have their interest, follow up with some form of sales letter. It can be a traditional sales letter or it can be one more in tune with today’s technology, such as an audio or video message.
3. In your correspondence, explain to the customer and specifically detail why your product is the best solution for them and their specific, personal situation. How your product provides the perfect solution to their problem and why, if they want help they need to purchase it.
4. Finally, one of the most important and most often overlooked aspects of any email marketing plans is to make sure that it is easy for the customer to purchase your product or service. You’ve already spent countless hours developing your product and many dollars advertising your product. Don’t blow the sale now by creating a confusing or hard to understand payment process. Just make sure that you have plenty of distinguishable payment links or buttons.

By following this simple template you should be able to successfully develop your email marketing plan with much success.

Brad Jones is an author and businessman with a background in internet marketing and investment planning. His primary goal is to educate others on how to increase and preserve their wealth. For more information on his latest venture please visit http://www.infoproductmax.com